justdata

The file contains just data (see below). Plus minimal indentation to indicate a hierarchy. Exactly like most hierarchies are actually displayed on computers today. But for some reason we feel the need to make really complicated config files that take longer to learn than the actual product, and are hard to read.

If you're a clever person, please try to optimize the parser, and send me a pull request. At the moment it's a quick and dirty hack that doesn't look pretty, but it works like it should.

Definition

justdata.parse(file, levels = -1)

Example

jd = require 'justdata'
tree = jd.parse fs.readFileSync('./config', 'utf-8')

Source file syntax

field
  value
some_field
  some_value
  some_other_value

field2 
  nested_field
    nested_value
  some, value, with, commas
  nested_field
    nested_value2
  value2
  another_nested_field
    hey_yo
      bro
    wazzup
  another value with spaces

The indentation can be either tabs or spaces of any length and combination, as long as it is consistent within a block.

Blank or whitespace-only lines are ignored, as is trailing whitespace.

Parsed

Using the above script to parse this will result in the following tree, with levels set to 0 (parse only root level)

tree = [ 
  field: 'value',
  some_field: 'some_value\nsome_other_value',
  field2: 'nested_field\n  nested_value\nsome, value, with, commas\nnested_field\n  nested_value2\nvalue2\nanother_nested_field\n  hey_yo\n   bro\n  wazzup\nanother value with spaces' 
]

Or with levels set to default (-1, unlimited)

tree = [ 
  field: [ 'value' ],
  some_field: [ 'some_value', 'some_other_value' ],
  field2: [ 
    'some, value, with, commas',
    'value2',
    'another value with spaces',
    nested_field: [ 'nested_value2' ],
    another_nested_field: [ 
      'wazzup', 
      hey_yo: [ 
        'bro' 
      ] 
    ] 
  ] 
]

Caveats and good to know

The structure is a javascript array object, which also exploits the fact that arrays are obects like much else, so it can have properties with names.

All the default array prototype functions have been removed from these objects in order to prevent name crashes. If you want to modify the array (e.g. using shift to retreive the next item) you will have to use Array.prototype.shift.call(tree.field2) or [].shift.call(tree.field2). Thus, the only reserved word is 'length' (because it is required for array functionality), and it can only be used as a value, not as a key.

Note that names that are identical on the same level (field2.nested_field) will overwrite each other, in the order they appear.

There will come an option which lets you specify whether to parse 'some, value, with, commas' as if they were elements separated by commas instead of newlines, and siblings to 'value2' and 'another value with spaces'.

Simplified BSD License

Copyright (c) 2012, Tor Valamo All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.