What is TAML?
TAML (Tab Annotated Markup Language) is a minimalist hierarchical data serialization format designed for maximum human readability and machine parseability. It uses exclusively tab characters and newlines for structural demarcation, eliminating the need for brackets, braces, colons, quotes (except for empty strings), or other markup symbols.
Design Philosophy
What started as a playful jab at YAML's complexity has grown into something meaningful. After iterating on the spec and building parsers, we realized something: simplicity isn't just elegant—it's powerful. TAML eliminates the cognitive overhead of remembering complex markup rules. Tabs do all the work.
Core Principles
- Extreme Minimalism: Use only the essential characters needed to represent structure
- Visual Clarity: Structure should be immediately apparent to the human eye
- Keyboard Accessibility: Navigate and understand documents using only the keyboard
- Zero Ambiguity: Syntax rules should be simple and unambiguous
- Easy to Learn: If you can press Tab, you can write TAML
Design Goals
Human Readability
TAML documents are designed to be read and written by humans without specialized tools. The tab-based structure makes hierarchy immediately visible.
Machine Parseability
Despite its simplicity, TAML is fully machine-parseable with clear, unambiguous rules for interpretation.
Minimal Cognitive Load
Eliminate the mental overhead of remembering complex syntax rules. One tab equals one level deeper—that's the whole story.
Accessibility
Tab-based navigation makes TAML documents accessible to users relying on keyboard navigation and screen readers.
Use Cases
TAML is ideal for:
- Configuration files
- Data serialization and interchange
- Application settings
- Simple data structures
- Human-editable data files
- Rapid prototyping
Specification Status
TAML is currently at version 0.1 (Draft Standard). The specification follows IEEE-style documentation standards and defines:
- Complete syntax and grammar
- Semantic interpretation rules
- Validation requirements
- Conformance criteria
- Error handling mechanisms
Comparison with Other Formats
| Feature | TAML | YAML | JSON |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Characters | None (except empty strings) | Many (-, :, {, }, [, ], etc.) | Many ({, }, [, ], :, ", etc.) |
| Hierarchy Method | Tabs only | Spaces with strict rules | Nested brackets |
| Learning Curve | Minimal | Moderate | Low-Moderate |
| Human Readability | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Machine Parseable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Community and Contributions
TAML is an open-source project welcoming contributions from the community. Whether you're interested in:
- Implementing parsers in new languages
- Improving the specification
- Creating tools and extensions
- Writing documentation and tutorials
We'd love to have you involved! Visit our GitHub repository to get started.