🎄Which config language to choose in 2024🌟

Dec 18 2023

Back to 2023 Advent Calendar

There are different configuration languages and it's hard to choose which one to use. Here is a list of the most popular ones and their pros and cons.

YAML

Example:

server: 
  port: 8080
  host: localhost
endpoints:
  - /api
  - /health

What are the systems that use it?

Kubernetes
Docker Compose

XML

Example:

<server>
  <port>8080</port>
  <host>localhost</host>
</server>
<endpoints>
  <endpoint>/api</endpoint>
  <endpoint>/health</endpoint>
</endpoints>

or with springboot:

<bean class="com.mynamespace.Server">
    <property name="port" value="8080"></property>
    <property name="host" value="localhost"></property>
</bean>

What are the systems that use it?

Maven
Spring

JSON

Example:

{
  "server": {
    "port": 8080,
    "host": "localhost"
  },
  "endpoints": [
    "/api",
    "/health"
  ]
}

What are the systems that use it?

npm
webpack

pretty much any javascript project

TOML

Example:

[server]
port = 8080
host = "localhost"

endpoints = [
  "/api",
  "/health"
]

What are the systems that use it?

Rust
Hugo

INI

Example:

[server]
port = 8080
host = localhost

endpoints = /api,/health

What are the systems that use it?

Python
Java

So what is a conclusion? Which language should I use?

Unfortunately as of 2024 there is no conclusive answer for that.

Use the format that is the most popular in the framework or language you use.

If you are doing Kubernetes, it would have to be YAML.

If you are building JS projects, it would have to be JSON.

Probably TOML with rust.

etc.