YAML

Last updated January 10, 2018

YAML, which stands for YAML Ain't Markup Language, is a human-readable data serialization format that's been widely adopted in a variety of use cases in Drupal 8. Anyone wanting to write modules or themes for Drupal 8 will need to understand YAML syntax. Even site-builders are likely to encounter YAML, at least in passing, as YAML is the data serialization format of choice for Drupal 8's configuration management system as well.

You can spot YAML files in your Drupal codebase by looking for the .yml extension.

Example tasks

Review updated/exported configuration prior to deploying it to the live site
Use YAML files in a theme to provide metadata about the theme, asset libraries, and more
Work with YAML files in a module to define routes, menu items, and basic module information

Confidence

YAML syntax is not likely to change, nor is Drupal's use of it. If anything, the specific key/value pairs that Drupal uses will evolve over time.

Drupalize.Me resources

HDCC

An Introduction to YAML

Free

12m35s // Site Building, Theming, Module Development, Drupal 8

Describe Your Theme with an Info File

Theming, Drupal 8

More information

Info files, aka THEMENAME.info.yml files, provide Drupal with metadata about your theme, the features it supports, and the regions that it defines. All themes are required to have a THEMENAME.info.yml file, and creating one is generally the first step you'll take when creating a new theme.

In this tutorial we'll:

Create an Info File for a Module

Free

Module Development, Drupal 8