# YAML interpretation **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565 "2009-07-23T10:27:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/1 "2009-07-23T10:27:52Z")
I have one array in ruby as, arr= [1, 2, ‘5’, ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’, “4,6”] as after doing arr.to\_yaml, it prints as, * * * - 1 - 2 - “5” - one - two - three - “4,6” This is my problem. It shows “4,6” as string (double-quoted) and (one,two) are non-quoted which itself as string. I am passing this string to some else database program which need clear distinction between string and integer. I require the result set as, * * * - 1 - 2 - “5” - “one” - “two” - “three” - “4,6” Does yaml have any provision so that i can achieve the result set in above consistent format? ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/2 "2009-07-23T13:07:09Z")
On Jul 23, 2009, at 01:27 , Karan R. wrote: > - one > > above consistent format? > yaml only provides the extra characters when the result would be > ambiguous. “- one” can’t be seen as anything other than an array > element with the string one in it. “- 4,6” is ambiguous, so yaml > provides the extra quotes to disambiguate. I suggest you use a real > yaml parser instead of relying on regexps and duct tape. The spec is > well written and very clear about such things. ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/3 "2009-07-23T13:35:26Z")
Ryan D. wrote: > On Jul 23, 2009, at 01:27 , Karan R. wrote: > > > - one > > > > above consistent format? > > yaml only provides the extra characters when the result would be > > ambiguous. “- one” can’t be seen as anything other than an array > > element with the string one in it. “- 4,6” is ambiguous, so yaml > > provides the extra quotes to disambiguate. I suggest you use a real > > yaml parser instead of relying on regexps and duct tape. The spec is > > well written and very clear about such things. Hi Ryan, Thanks for suggestion. But I am not clear about real yaml parser. As i am using yaml package in ruby. Could you please elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/4 "2009-07-23T17:39:06Z")
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 11:35 AM, Karan R.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > yaml parser instead of relying on regexps and duct tape. The spec is > > well written and very clear about such things. > > Hi Ryan, > > Thanks for suggestion. But I am not clear about real yaml parser. As i > am using yaml package in ruby. What is the other person’s database program using to process the file? (“regexps and duct tape” or “a real yaml parser”) ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/5 "2009-07-23T20:32:48Z")
On Jul 23, 2009, at 04:35 , Karan R. wrote: > > yaml parser instead of relying on regexps and duct tape. The spec is > > well written and very clear about such things. > > Hi Ryan, > > Thanks for suggestion. But I am not clear about real yaml parser. As i > am using yaml package in ruby. > > Could you please elaborate? As you said: “I am passing this string to some else database program which need clear distinction between string and integer” SOMEONE is not using a real yaml parser… since yaml DOES have a clear distinction between strings and integers. ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/6 "2009-07-24T07:37:19Z")
unknown wrote: > What is the other person’s database program using to process the file? > (“regexps and duct tape” or “a real yaml parser”) Other database program expecting only the string, like, * * * - 1 - 2 - “5” - “one” - “two” - “three” - “4,6” Its treats as the “string”, not the “yaml string”. ---
**Author:** ![gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gganesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gganesh)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/yaml-interpretation/172565/7 "2009-07-24T16:30:05Z")
On Jul 23, 2009, at 22:36 , Karan R. wrote: > > > Thanks for suggestion. But I am not clear about real yaml parser. > > - 1 > - 2 > - “5” > - “one” > - “two” > - “three” > - “4,6” > > Its treats as the “string”, not the “yaml string”. then the database program is wrong. the yaml is correct. you should fix what is wrong, not what is correct.