![](https://github.com/senselogic/DEF/blob/master/LOGO/def.png) # DEF Data Exchange Format. ## Features * Allows complex configuration files to be defined in a simple, readable way which is also easy to parse and generate. * Uses a consistent indentation scheme where each level is indented with a fixed number of spaces (4 by default). * Consists of lightweight, dependency-free JavaScript files that can be imported individually. ``` { settings { theme dark fontSize 16 features [ search filter sort ] version 2.0¨ metrics { cpuUsage 0.75 memoryUsage 0.6 networkTraffic 1234567890 } logging true } users [ { name John Doe role administrator } { name Jane Smith role publisher } ] texts { home "Home ¨fr:Accueil ¨de:Startseite ¨ja:ホーム" services `Services ¨fr:Services ¨de:Dienstleistungen ¨ja:サービス` contact ´Contact ¨fr:Contact ¨de:Kontakt ¨ja:連絡先´ } } ``` ## Supported data types * **Constants**: undefined, null, false, true, NaN, -Infinity, Infinity * **Numbers**: decimal integers and reals, hexadecimal naturals * **Strings**: quoted and unquoted multiline texts * **Arrays**: ordered collections * **Objects**: key-value collections using strings as keys * **Maps**: key-value collections ``` { name DEF version 1.0¨ description Data exchange format. author { name Ecstatic Coder email ecstatic.coder@gmail.com } features [ Simple, parseable syntax based on indentation. Compact representation for complex data structures. Supports all JSON data types and more. Flexible multiline string handling. ] examples { constants [ undefined null false true NaN -Infinity Infinity ] numbers [ 0 -1 42 0xFF 3.14159 -1.23456e-7 ] strings { unquoted string Single-line strings don't need quotes. unquoted string starting and ending with spaces Unquoted strings can start and end with spaces. ¨ unquoted multiline string A backslash escapes the next character.\\\ A trailing backslash makes the line continue \ over the next line. \ Starting spaces are kept. \ Ending spaces are not kept unless followed by a backspace \ or a diaeresis. ¨ unquoted empty string unquoted empty string with a trailing diaeresis ¨ unquoted constant-like string with a trailing diaeresis null¨ unquoted number-like string with a trailing diaeresis 1.0¨ double-quoted multiline string "Lines are joined using line breaks. A backslash escapes the next character.\" A trailing backslash makes the line continue \ over the next line. Starting spaces are kept. Ending spaces are not kept unless followed by a backspace \ or a diaeresis. ¨ "Non-ending" double-quotes don't have to be escaped." double-quoted empty string "" backticked multiline string `Lines are joined using line breaks. A backslash escapes the next character.\` A trailing backslash makes the line continue \ over the next line. Starting spaces are kept. Ending spaces are not kept unless followed by a backspace \ or a diaeresis. ¨ `Non-ending` backticks don't have to be escaped.` backticked empty string `` ticked multiline string ´Lines are joined using line breaks. A backslash escapes the next character.\´ A trailing backslash makes the line continue \ over the next line. Starting spaces are kept. Ending spaces are not kept unless followed by a backspace or a diaeresis. ¨ ´Non-ending´ ticks don't have to be escaped.´ ticked empty string ´´ } collections { array of values [ null 0 one 2.0¨ "3" `4` ´5´ ] array of empty strings [ ¨ "" `` ´´ ] object of key/value pairs (where keys are coerced to strings) { key value other key other value 123 null undefined not found keys [ array value 1 array value 2 ] are converted { object key 1 object value 1 object key 2 object value 2 } to strings ( map key 1 map value 1 map key 2 map value 2 ) } map of key/value pairs (where keys can be of any type) ( key value other key other value 123 null undefined not found [ array value 1 array value 2 ] ( map key 1 map value 1 map key 2 map value 2 ) { object key 1 object value 1 object key 2 object value 2 } [ array value 1 array value 2 ] ( map key 1 map value 1 map key 2 map value 2 ) { object key 1 object value 1 object key 2 object value 2 } ) } } } ``` ## JavaScript API ```javascript // -- IMPORTS import { buildDefText, getDumpText, parseDefText } from 'senselogic-def'; // -- STATEMENTS let object = { name: 'John Doe', age: 30, skills: [ 'JavaScript', 'TypeScript', 'Node.js' ] }; let text = buildDefText( object ); console.log( text ); /* { name John Doe age 30 skills [ JavaScript TypeScript Node.js ] } */ let value = parseDefText( text ); console.log( getDumpText( value ) ); /* { "name": "John Doe", "age": 30, "skills": [ "JavaScript", "TypeScript", "Node.js" ] } */ let map = new Map(); map.set( [ 'first', 'key' ], { first: 'value', second: 'value' } ); map.set( [ 'second', 'key' ], { first: 'value', second: 'value', third: 'value' } ); text = buildDefText( map ); console.log( text ); /* ( [ first key ] { first value second value } [ second key ] { first value second value third value } ) */ value = parseDefText( text ); console.log( getDumpText( value ) ); /* Map(2) { [ "first", "key" ] => { "first": "value", "second": "value" }, [ "second", "key" ] => { "first": "value", "second": "value", "third": "value" } } */ ``` ## Limitations * Tab characters are automatically replaced by a fixed number of spaces, regardless of their position in the line. ## Version 0.1 ## Author Eric Pelzer (ecstatic.coder@gmail.com). ## License This project is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3. See the [LICENSE.md](LICENSE.md) file for details.