Question 1

How do I parse YAML into a Swift struct using Yams?

Accepted Answer

Use YAMLDecoder with Codable: define a struct conforming to Codable, then call decode(_:from:) with a YAML string. For example, struct S: Codable { var p: String } can be decoded from "p: test" using YAMLDecoder().decode(S.self, from: yamlString).

Question 2

Yams vs SwiftYAML: which one should I use for Swift projects?

Accepted Answer

Yams is better for projects prioritizing Codable support and Swift idiomatic design, as it integrates seamlessly with Swift's encoding/decoding ecosystem. SwiftYAML might be preferred if you need a pure-Swift implementation without C dependencies, but Yams generally offers better performance and standard library compatibility.

Question 3

Can Yams handle YAML anchors and aliases?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Yams supports YAML anchors and aliases through its native Node representation, as it's built on LibYAML which implements the YAML 1.2 spec. You can access and manipulate these features using Yams.Node for fine-grained control.

Question 4

How to convert a YAML string to a Swift Dictionary with Yams?

Accepted Answer

Use Yams.load(yaml:) and cast the result to [String: Any]. For instance, let dict = try Yams.load(yaml: "key: value") as? [String: Any] will parse the YAML into a dictionary, similar to JSONSerialization handling.

Question 5

Is Yams thread-safe for concurrent parsing?

Accepted Answer

Yams itself doesn't explicitly guarantee thread safety in the README, but since it's built on LibYAML—which may have thread-safe functions—it's generally safe for concurrent use with separate decoder instances. However, shared resources like global constructors might require caution.

Yams

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