# Parse error in database.yml

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [January 8, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893 "2006-01-08T22:14:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/1 "2006-01-08T22:14:55Z")

</div>

Since upgrading to rails 1.0 I keep getting a parse error in  
database.yml.

I have tried multiple configurations of both mysql and postgres and  
continue getting this error message when trying to generate a model or  
scaffold.

-Andrew

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/2 "2006-01-08T22:45:02Z")

</div>

On 1/8/06, Andrew G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Since upgrading to rails 1.0 I keep getting a parse error in database.yml.
> 
> I have tried multiple configurations of both mysql and postgres and  
> continue getting this error message when trying to generate a model or  
> scaffold.

And we’re supposed to magically know what the error is that you’re  
getting?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 8:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/3 "2006-01-09T08:15:26Z")

</div>

Andrew G. wrote:

> database: musings-production  
> username: andrew  
> password: flubber’ from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:119:in `load’

Shouldn’t those be underscores? musings\_test, etc.

Also be sure there are no tab characters in your YAML.

regards

Justin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/4 "2006-01-09T03:25:37Z")

</div>

ruby script/generate model page  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:119:in `load': parse error on line 6, col -4:`test: (ArgumentError)  
adapter: postgresql  
database: musings-test  
username: andrew  
password: flubber

production:  
adapter: postgresql  
database: musings-production  
username: andrew  
password: flubber’ from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:119:in `load' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/initializer.rb:424:in`database\_configuration’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/initializer.rb:168:in  
`initialize_database' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/initializer.rb:83:in`process’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/initializer.rb:42:in  
`send' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/initializer.rb:42:in`run’  
from ./script/…/config/…/config/environment.rb:10  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:18:in  
`require__' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:18:in`require’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.2.5/lib/active\_support/dependencies.rb:214:in  
`require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.0.0/lib/commands/generate.rb:1 from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:18:in`require\_\_’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:18:in  
`require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.2.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:214:in`require’  
from script/generate:3

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/5 "2006-01-10T09:23:41Z")

</div>

I figured it out. I had a “#” character in my password which was  
causing the parse error. Putting quotes around the password fixed it.  
I would guess that the # was being read as the start of a comment but  
I’m not sure why this would cause a parse error rather than just  
denying access.

But it works now and I am happy.

Thanks,  
-Andrew

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@esquilax](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/esquilax)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/parse-error-in-database-yml/51893/6 "2006-01-09T21:11:59Z")

</div>

On 1/9/06, Andrew G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> ruby script/generate model page  
> /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:119:in `load’: parse error on line 6,

So, what’s on line 6 of your config/database.yml file?