Skip to main content

YAML Sequences

A YAML file is rarely used to describe a simple scalar. Most of the time, it describes a collection.

YAML collections can be a sequence or a mapping of elements.

In YAML, the collection is represented with proper sequence styles.

YAML Sequences​

YAML sequences are the equivalent of lists, arrays, etc. of programming languages.

The individual items of a sequence can have any type (strings, integers, floating-point numbers, mappings, or sequences)

Sequences can be created in two equivalent ways:

Block Style version​

Sequences can be written in block style, using one line for each item in the sequence, with each line starting with a dash (-):

menu:
- pizza
- pasta
- hamburger
- steak
- salad

Flow Style version​

Sequences can be written in flow style using commas to separate the items and enclosing them in square brackets ([val1, val2, ...]).

menu: [pizza, pasta, hamburger, steak, salad]
note

Learn more in YAML Sequence Style

Nested Sequences​

Sequences can also be nested.

The following examples are all equivalent:

data: [[1, 2], [3, 4]]

data:
-
- 1
- 2
-
- 3
- 4

data:
- - 1
- 2
- - 3
- 4
warning

YAML uses spaces, NOT tabs, for indentation.