Dumping Scalars topic

Scalars or scalar-like objects are dumped by calling the object's toString method before applying the heuristics of the dumpScalar function. Each ScalarStyle has a set of constraints declared in the spec. These constraints are actively enforced to ensure the correctness of the YAML string generated.

Double Quoted Style

This is the style optimized for compatibility and portability in the spec. Your object can be dumped in two forms in this style which include:

1. YAML's double quoted style
2. JSON's double quoted style

YAML's double quoted style

In this style, all escaped characters are normalized except:

• Tabs \t
• Line breaks. \r, \n, \r\n

The escaped characters are always recovered when the dumped string is parsed. Additionally, line breaks are "unfolded" with trailing and leading whitespaces on each line preserved as described in the spec.

dumpScalar(
  'Bell \a with tab \t and line breaks \n \r',
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.doubleQuoted,
);

# Output in yaml (characters below are visual aids. They are not included):
# ↓ - for line break
# → - for tab
"Bell \a with tab → and line breaks ↓
↓
"

JSON's classic double quoted style

This double quoted style is supported by YAML out of the box. All escaped characters including tabs (\t) and line breaks (\n and \r) are normalized.

dumpScalar(
  'Bell \a with tab \t and line breaks \n \r',
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.plain,
  jsonCompatible: true,
);

# This string is normalized.
# \a = \ + a
# \t = \ + t
# \r = \ + r
"Bell \a with tab \t and line breaks \n \r"

Single Quoted Style

In this style:

• Single quotes ' are escaped with a single quote '.
• Line breaks are "unfolded".
• Tabs and backslashes are never normalized.

This style, however, PROHIBITS any form of escaping. Only printable characters are allowed. Always throws if any are found.

dumpScalar(
  "Single quote ' , tab \t and line breaks\n\n",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.singleQuoted,
);

# Output in yaml (characters below are visual aids. They are not included):
# ↓ - for line break
# → - for tab
'Single quote '' , tab → and line breaks ↓
↓
↓
'

Plain Style

This style is RESTRICTED but LENIENT. Instead of throwing, all escaped characters are normalized except tabs and line breaks. Line breaks are always "unfolded".

dumpScalar(
  "Bell \a with tab \t and line breaks \n\n",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.plain,
);

# Output in yaml (characters below are visual aids. They are not included):
# ↓ - for line break
# → - for tab
#
# \a is normalized to "\" + "a"
Bell \a with tab → and line breaks ↓
↓
↓

Block Literal Style

This style is simple but STRICT and has the principle, "What you see is what you get". Ergo, it only allows printable characters and throws if any non-printable characters are present in the string.

You cannot specify the ChompingIndicator. This is intentional.

dumpScalar("Ascii Bell \a", dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.literal); // Throws

Simple String

Applies strip chomping indicator (-), by default.

dumpScalar(
  "This is a simple string",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.literal,
);

|-
This is a simple string

String with trailing line breaks

Applies the keep chomping indicator (+) to preserve trailing line breaks as part of the content and prevent issues if the scalar is embedded in a sequence or mapping with multiple elements.

dumpScalar(
  "Woohoo! I have line breaks\n\n",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.literal,
);

# Output in yaml (character below is a visual aid. It is not included):
# ↓ - for line break
|+
Woohoo! I have line breaks↓
↓

String with leading whitespace

Indent for block scalars is inferred from the first line when parsing instead of depending the indent provided by the global lexer/parser. To prevent this, the string is indented further and a block indentation indicator is provided in the block scalar header.

The indentation indicator restricts the parser to consume only n+m spaces where:

• n - is the number of indentation spaces it is currently pinned to from the parent node/global lexer.
• m - the additional space(s) it needs to consume to determine the block scalar's indent. YAML allows m to range from 1-9. We only emit 1 for our usecase.

dumpScalar(
  " Leading space present\nin the line",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.literal,
);

# In yaml (characters below are visual aids. They are not included):
# ↓ - for line break
# · = indent
|1-
· Leading space present↓
·in the line

Block Folded Style

Line breaks are always "unfolded" (Peep style's name). Tabs are not normalized. However, this style throws if any non-printable characters are present in the string.

You cannot specify the ChompingIndicator. This is intentional.

dumpScalar("Ascii Bell \a", dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.folded); // Throws

Simple String

Applies strip chomping indicator (-), by default.

dumpScalar(
  "This is a folded\nstring",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.folded,
);

# Output in yaml (character below is a visual aid. It is not included):
# ↓ - for line break
>-
This is a folded↓
↓
string

String with trailing line breaks

Similar to ScalarStyle.literal, the keep chomping indicator (+) is applied to preserve trailing line breaks as part of the content. Trailing line breaks are never "unfolded".

dumpScalar(
  "Folded\nalways! I have trailing line breaks\n\n",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.folded,
);

# Output in yaml (character below is a visual aid. It is not included):
# ↓ - for line break
>+
Folded↓
↓
always! I have line breaks↓
↓

String with leading whitespace

ScalarStyle.literal and ScalarStyle.folded are block scalar styles. Indentation indicator is also used in ScalarStyle.folded.

dumpScalar(
  " Leading space present\nin the line",
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.folded,
);

# Output in yaml (characters below are visual aids. They are not included):
# ↓ - for line break
# · = indent
>1-
· Leading space present↓
↓
·in the line

String with non-leading indented lines

Line breaks joining indented lines with other lines (indented or not) are never "unfolded" since YAML parsers do not fold such lines.

// Dart multiline string used for simplicity
dumpScalar(
'''
Will be unfolded
normally. Next one not unfolded
 since it is
 indented.

Unfolding continues after
this line''',
  dumpingStyle: ScalarStyle.folded,
);

# Output in yaml (character below is a visual aid. It is not included):
# ↓ - for line break
>-
Will be unfolded↓
↓
normally. Next one not unfolded↓
 since it is↓
 indented.↓
↓
Unfolding continues after↓
↓
this line