<p>There is only one <a href="http://yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">YAML spec</a>. That would lead me to say "There are no YAML dialects". There are certainly differences in <strong>implementation</strong>, perhaps due to what the article claims as the spec's ambiguity:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>YAML specification is so ambiguous,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's a matter of opinion, I believe, but there is no doubting that various language-specific parsers of the same data result in different output. So, to answer the question(s):</p>

<ol>
<li><strong>no</strong> there are no YAML dialects (since there is one spec)</li>
<li><strong>yes</strong> the spec provides much leeway for implementation and thus there are differences in how it is parsed.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-26T10:25:41.870Z
2018-11-26T10:25:41.870Z
Bruce Becker
<p>We use YAML in several frameworks to define types and structures for our deployments. I read an <a href="https://github.com/cblp/yaml-sucks" rel="nofollow noreferrer">article</a> about why some people don't like YAML and they stated that the parsing of YAML is very different depending on the interpreter. </p>

<p>Can it be said that these interpreters define their own dialects of YAML or would that not be the case?</p>

<p>The background is that we would like to verify and validate YAML in our templates. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-25T12:06:24.990Z
Please add the link of the article.
030
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-26T02:04:30.127Z
@030 Done...Please read it.
Niklas Rosencrantz
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-26T21:07:15.800Z
What should be the programming language of the yaml validator?
030
<cloud><yaml><aws-cloudformation>
Are there dialects of YAML or just differences in parsing it?
Niklas Rosencrantz
# Are there dialects of YAML or just differences in parsing it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-25)

We use YAML in several frameworks to define types and structures for our deployments. I read an [article](https://github.com/cblp/yaml-sucks) about why some people don't like YAML and they stated that the parsing of YAML is very different depending on the interpreter.

Can it be said that these interpreters define their own dialects of YAML or would that not be the case?

The background is that we would like to verify and validate YAML in our templates.

**Tags:** cloud, yaml, aws-cloudformation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please add the link of the article.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Done...Please read it.  
> **username_1**: What should be the programming language of the yaml validator?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-11-26. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

There is only one [YAML spec](http://yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html). That would lead me to say "There are no YAML dialects". There are certainly differences in **implementation**, perhaps due to what the article claims as the spec's ambiguity:

> YAML specification is so ambiguous,

It's a matter of opinion, I believe, but there is no doubting that various language-specific parsers of the same data result in different output. So, to answer the question(s):

1. **no** there are no YAML dialects (since there is one spec)
2. **yes** the spec provides much leeway for implementation and thus there are differences in how it is parsed.


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