Tom's Obvious, Minimal Language (TOML)
TOML is a minimal configuration file format aim to be easy to read and easy to parse.
What does TOML stand for?
TOML stands for “Tom’s Obvious, Minimal Language.”.
“Tom’s”: It was created by Tom Preston-Werner, who also co-founded GitHub.
“Obvious”: The syntax is intended to be clear, readable, and intuitive for humans, even without extensive experience with configuration files.
“Minimal”: It focuses on a core set of features essential for configuration, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Key Benefits of Using TOML over YAML
Readability
Indentation-agnostic: TOML’s syntax doesn’t rely on whitespace for structure, making it more resilient to formatting errors and easier to read, especially with nested data.
Clear key-value pairs: TOML uses explicit
=for assignments, enhancing readability compared to YAML’s colon-based approach.
Consistency
Stricter syntax: TOML has a more restricted grammar, leading to fewer ambiguities and more predictable parsing behavior.
No implicit typing: TOML requires explicit data types, reducing potential confusion and errors.
Simplicity
Smaller feature set: TOML focuses on core configuration needs, making it easier to learn, implement, and maintain.
Fewer edge cases: Its simpler syntax reduces the likelihood of unexpected parsing issues.
Parsing speed
- Faster parsing: TOML’s streamlined structure often results in faster parsing performance compared to YAML.
Error handling
- Better error messages: TOML parsers often provide more informative error messages, aiding in debugging.
Community and support
- Growing adoption: TOML’s popularity is increasing, especially in the Rust and Go communities, leading to wider tool support and community resources.
Extensibility
- Custom data types: TOML supports defining custom data types using TOML-SPEC, allowing for domain-specific extensions.