OpenIndented Markup Language

An indented, easy-to-parse, easy-to-read, easy-to-write markup language.

A taste of OIML

Comment

// comment needs to be in their own lines.

Single string

: This is a string

Equivalent JSON

[{"B": "This is a string"}]

A list of strings

: This is a string
: This is another string

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"B": "This is a string"},
    {"B": "This is another string"}
]

String with additional attributes

: This is a string
    font-family: Times New Roman
    size: 14pt
    text-style: italic

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"B": "This is a string",
     "C": [
        {"A": ["font-family"],
         "B": "Times New Roman"},
	{"A": ["size"],
	 "B": "14pt"},
	{"A": ["text-style"],
	 "B": "italic"}
     ]}
]

String with a chain of attributes

: This is a string
    attr1: attr-content
        attr2: attr2-content
            attr3: attr3-content

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"B": "This is a string",
     "C": [
         {"A": ["attr1"],
	  "B": "attr-content",
	  "C": [
	      {"A": ["attr2"],
	       "B": "attr2-content",
	       "C": [
	           {"A": ["attr3"],
		    "B": "attr3-content"}
	       ]}
	  ]}
    ]}
]

Three strings & a boolean (in a different arrangement)

// this, too, is an array of 4 elements (#true is the boolean value "true")
// the difference between this and the list of strings started with
// colon ":" will become apparent later. trust me.
str1 str2 #true str3

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": ["str1", "str2", true, "str3"]}
]

Single number

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": [42]}
]

A list of numbers

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": [42]},
    {"A": [69]},
    {"A": [-4.20e3]},
    {"A": [810]},
    {"A": [191.9]},
    {"A": [114514]}
]

Number with additional attributes

-42:
    type: expense
    desc: office stationary

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": [-42],
     "C": [
         {"A": ["type"],
	  "B": "expense"},
	 {"A": ["desc"],
	  "B": "office stationary"}
     ]}
]

Simple mapping

Name: Juan Lopez
Age: 21
Major: Accounting

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": ["Name"], "B": "Juan Lopez"},
    {"A": ["Age"], "B": "21"},
    {"A": ["Major"], "B": "Accounting"}
]

A list of objects

User: jlopez
    Name: Juan Lopez
    Age: 21
    Major: Accounting

User: marias
    Name: Maria Smith
    Age: 19
    Major: Computer science

User: djesse4
    Name: Jesse Collier
    Age: 22
    Major: Music

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": ["User"], "B": "jlopez",
     "C": [
         {"A": ["Name"], "B": "Juan Lopez"},
	 {"A": ["Age"], "B": "21"},
	 {"A": ["Major"], "B": "Accounting"}
     ]},
    {"A": ["User"], "B": "marias",
     "C": [
         {"A": ["Name"], "B": "Maria Smith"},
	 {"A": ["Age"], "B": "19"},
	 {"A": ["Major"], "B": "Computer science"}
     ]},
    {"A": ["User"], "B": "djesse4",
     "C": [
         {"A": ["Name"], "B": "Jesse Collier"},
	 {"A": ["Age"], "B": "22"},
	 {"A": ["Major"], "B": "Music"}
     ]}
]

Key-value pair

user type=admin: adam
    FullName: Adam Murray
    Email: adam.murray45@gmail.com

Equivalent JSON

[
    {"A": ["User", ["type", "admin"]], "B": "adam",
     "C": [
         {"A": ["FullName"], "B": "Adam Murray"},
	 {"A": ["Email"], "B": "adam.murray45@gmail.com"}
     ]}
]

Longer examples

Click here for longer examples

A GitLab CI example in OIML:

variables:
    // DJANGO_CONFIG: "test"
    MYSQL_DATABASE: $MYSQL_DB
    MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: $MYSQL_PASS
    MYSQL_USER: $MYSQL_USER
    MYSQL_PASSWORD: $MYSQL_PASS

default:
    image: ubuntu:20.04

    // Pick zero or more services to be used on all builds.
    // Only needed when using a docker container to run your tests in.
    // Check out: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/services/index.html
    services:
      : mysql:8.0

    // This folder is cached between builds
    // http://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/README.html#cache
    cache:
        paths:
            : ~/.cache/pip/
    before_script:
        : apt -y update
        : apt -y install apt-utils
        : apt -y install net-tools python3.8 python3-pip mysql-client libmysqlclient-dev
        : apt -y upgrade
        : pip3 install -r requirements.txt

migrations:
    stage: build
    script:
        : python3 manage.py makemigrations
        : python3 manage.py migrate
        : python3 managepy check

django-tests:
    stage: test
    script:
        // The MYSQL user only gets permissions for MYSQL_DB, so Django can't create a test database.
        : echo "GRANT ALL on *.* to '${MYSQL_USER}';"| mysql -u root --password="${MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD}" -h mysql
        // use python3 explicitly. see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Python/3
        : python3 manage.py test

deploy:
    stage: deploy
    script: echo "Define your deployment script!"
    environment: production

A possible script for visual novel engines like Ren'Py, showing OIML's command language heritage.

character: sylvie
    name: Sylvie
    color: #c8ffc8
    image: assets/sylvie_normal.png

character: me
    name: Me
    color: #c8c8ff


# start
scene: bg meadow
            
sylvie: Hi there! How was class?
me: Good...
: I can't bring myself to admit that it all went in one ear and out the other.
me: Are you going home now? Wanna walk back with me?
sylvie: Sure!


scene bg: assets/meadow.png
: After a short while, we reach the meadows just outside the neighborhood where we both live.
: It's a scenic view I've grown used to. Autumn is especially beautiful here.
: When we were children, we played in these meadows a lot, so they're full of memories.
me: Hey... Um...
sylvie green smile
: She turns to me and smiles. She looks so welcoming that I feel my nervousness melt away.
: I'll ask her!
me:
    : Umm... Will you...
    : Will you be my artist for a visual novel?
sylvie green surprised
: Silence.


# leaving
sylvie: I'll get right on it!
hide sylvie
: ...
me: That wasn't what I meant!