Building an array of dictionary items in YAML?

Basically trying to something in yaml that could be done using this json:

{
models: [ { model: "a" type: "x" #bunch of properties... }, { model: "b" type: "y" #bunch of properties... } ]
}

So far this is what I have, it does not work because I am repeating my model key but what can be a proper way to do that by keeping that model key word?

models: model: type: "x" #bunch of properties... model: type: "y" #bunch of properties...

2 Answers

Use a dash to start a new list element:

models: - model: "a" type: "x" #bunch of properties... - model: "b" type: "y" #bunch of properties...

You probably have been looking at YAML for too long because that what you call JSON in your post isn't, it is more a half-and-half of YAML and JSON. Lets skip the fact that JSON doesn't allow comments starting with a #, you should quote the strings that are keys and you should put , between elements in mapping:

{
"models": [ { "model": "a", "type": "x" }, { "model": "b", "type": "y" } ]
}

That is correct JSON as well as it is YAML, because YAML is a superset of JSON. You can e.g. check that online at this YAML parser.

You can convert it to the block-style you seem to prefer as YAML using ruamel.yaml.cmd (based on my enhanced version of PyYAML: pip install ruamel.yaml.cmd). You can use its commandline utility to convert JSON to block YAML (in version 0.9.1 you can also force flow style):

yaml json in.json

which gets you:

models:
- model: a type: x
- model: b type: y

There are some online resources that allow you to do the above, but as with any of such services, don't use them for anything important (like the list of credit-card numbers and passwords).