# Yaml error. dunno why

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [November 10, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787 "2007-11-10T14:56:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Junkone)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787/1 "2007-11-10T14:56:01Z")

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i have a simple yml file and am trying to parse it.

development:  
TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
Second: E:\Jts\test\

i get a error that i am not able to comprehend. pl help  
irb(main):020:0\> conf = YAML::load(File.open(RailsDirectory+ ‘config/  
constants.y  
ml’))  
‘rgumentError: syntax error on line 5, col 12: `Second: E:\Jts \test\ from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in`load’  
from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in `load’  
from (irb):20

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Junkone)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787/2 "2007-11-10T15:04:12Z")

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On Nov 10, 2007 8:55 AM, Junkone [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> ‘rgumentError: syntax error on line 5, col 12: ` Second: E:\Jts \test\ from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in`load’  
> from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in `load’  
> from (irb):20

* * *

development:  
TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
Second: E:\Jts\test\

I believe that — is important, but I’m not sure. Try building your  
hash  
in irb and YAML.dump it.

Michael G.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Junkone)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787/3 "2007-11-10T21:34:02Z")

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Junkone wrote:

> ‘rgumentError: syntax error on line 5, col 12: `Second: E:\Jts \test\ from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in`load’  
> from e:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:133:in `load’  
> from (irb):20

I suspect the backslashes need to be escaped:

h = YAML.load(\<\<END)  
development:  
TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys\  
Second: E:\Jts\test\  
END

puts h.to\_yaml

**END**

Output:

* * *

development:  
TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
Second: E:\Jts\test\

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@Junkone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Junkone)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-error-dunno-why/119787/4 "2007-11-10T22:35:06Z")

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Hi,

On Sat, 2007-11-10 at 22:55 +0900, Junkone wrote:

> i have a simple yml file and am trying to parse it.
> 
> development:  
> TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
> Second: E:\Jts\test\

First, make sure your items are indented at the same level:

development:  
TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
Second: E:\Jts\test\

Notice the way “TWSDirectory” and “Second” have the same number of  
spaces before them.

This may still not work. Have a look at this example:

irb(main):008:0\> YAML.load \<\<-YAML  
irb(main):009:0" abcdefg  
irb(main):010:0" hijkl  
irb(main):011:0" YAML  
=\> “abcdefghijkl”

Your “” at the end of the line is joining the two lines into one!  
Suffice to say, this works:

irb(main):017:0\> YAML.load \<\<YAML  
irb(main):018:0" development:  
irb(main):019:0" TWSDirectory: E:\Jts\dlqkjifys  
irb(main):020:0" Second: E:\Jts\test  
irb(main):021:0" YAML  
=\> {“development”=\>{“TWSDirectory”=\>“E:Jtsdlqkjifys”, “Second”=\>“E:Jts  
\test”}}  
irb(main):022:0\>

> 

Hope this helps,

Arlen