YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization format that integrates seamlessly with Ruby. It's widely used for configuration files, data storage, and inter-language data sharing.

Using YAML in Ruby

Ruby provides built-in support for YAML through its standard library. The yaml module offers simple methods to parse and generate YAML data.

Parsing YAML

To parse YAML in Ruby, use the YAML.load method:


require 'yaml'

yaml_string = "
name: John Doe
age: 30
hobbies:
  - reading
  - swimming
"

data = YAML.load(yaml_string)
puts data['name']  # Output: John Doe
puts data['hobbies'][1]  # Output: swimming

Generating YAML

To convert Ruby objects to YAML, use the YAML.dump method:


require 'yaml'

data = {
  'name' => 'Jane Smith',
  'age' => 28,
  'skills' => ['Ruby', 'Python', 'JavaScript']
}

yaml_output = YAML.dump(data)
puts yaml_output

Best Practices

Use YAML.safe_load instead of YAML.load when parsing untrusted YAML data to prevent potential security vulnerabilities.
Leverage Ruby's symbol syntax for cleaner YAML representation of hash keys.
Utilize YAML's ability to represent complex data structures, including nested hashes and arrays.

Common Use Cases

YAML in Ruby is frequently used for:

Configuration files for Ruby applications
Data serialization and deserialization
Storing and reading structured data
Internationalization (i18n) language files

Related Concepts

To deepen your understanding of YAML in Ruby, explore these related topics:

YAML Parsing techniques and best practices
YAML Generation strategies for Ruby objects
YAML for App Config in Ruby applications
YAML Safe Loading to prevent security vulnerabilities

By mastering YAML in Ruby, you'll enhance your ability to work with structured data and configuration files in your Ruby projects.