YAML? That's Norway Problem
2 days ago
- #Data Serialization
- #YAML
- #Programming Quirks
- YAML's Norway problem arises because certain words like 'NO' are interpreted as booleans (false) due to implicit typing rules from YAML 1.1.
- Popular YAML libraries (e.g., PyYAML, libyaml) still adhere to YAML 1.1 specifications, maintaining this behavior despite YAML 1.2 removing implicit boolean typing.
- The issue can be mitigated by quoting the problematic strings (e.g., "NO") or using explicit typing tags (e.g., !!bool).
- YAML's complexity and slow adoption of spec updates contribute to the persistence of the Norway problem in widely used tools.
- Alternative solutions include using newer libraries supporting YAML 1.2, adopting stricter formats like JSON, or dialects like KYAML for specific use cases.