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Database Migration from Markdown to YAML

· One min read
Nicolas Tetha
Nicolas Tetha
Localhost CEO, Creator of Norchevsky

Due to the convenience of YAML, the database was migrated from Markdown.

Why Did We Switch to YAML? 🤔​

Previously, our database used the Markdown (.md) format. While Markdown is excellent for human readability, its machine processing was challenging:

  • AST Transformations 🔄:
    Any data modification required:
    1. Parsing MD into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)
    2. Making changes to the AST
    3. Converting back to MD
  • Fragility ⚠️:
    Slight markup deviations could break the parser
  • Limited Structure 📦:
    Difficult to express nested data relationships

Advantages of YAML 🚀​

The transition to YAML solved these problems:

# Example data structure in YAML
character:
  id: hero_ivan
  name: Ivan
  stats:
    strength: 15
    agility: 12
  inventory:
    - sword
    - health_potion
  • Direct Parsing ⚡:
    Data is immediately available as structured objects (lists, dictionaries)
  • Readability 👁️:
    Data hierarchy is visually obvious
  • Change Safety 🔒:
    Modify only specific fields without full re-parsing
  • Metadata Support 🏷️:
    Easy to add tags, comments, and data types

Final Gains ⏱️💾​

  • Data processing speed increased by 3x
  • Database handling code simplified by 40%
  • Parsing errors: 0️⃣

Now we can focus on game logic development instead of fighting formats! 🎮✨