From e92dc5060c501facb39ab60fc4fbd94e20339642 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Mike Farah <mikefarah@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2021 15:49:10 +1100
Subject: [PATCH] Added encode / decode docs

---
 SUMMARY.md                 |   1 +
 operators/encode-decode.md | 180 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 181 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 operators/encode-decode.md

diff --git a/SUMMARY.md b/SUMMARY.md
index a3d72408..80a7686f 100644
--- a/SUMMARY.md
+++ b/SUMMARY.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   * [Create, Collect into Object](operators/create-collect-into-object.md)
   * [Delete](operators/delete.md)
   * [Document Index](operators/document-index.md)
+  * [Encode / Decode](operators/encode-decode.md)
   * [Entries](operators/entries.md)
   * [Env Variable Operators](operators/env-variable-operators.md)
   * [Equals](operators/equals.md)
diff --git a/operators/encode-decode.md b/operators/encode-decode.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..384b5559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operators/encode-decode.md
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+# Encoder / Decoder
+
+Encode operators will take the piped in object structure and encode it as a string in the desired format. The decode operators do the opposite, they take a formatted string and decode it into the relevant object structure.
+
+Note that you can optionally pass an indent value to the encode functions (see below).
+
+These operators are useful to process yaml documents that have stringified embeded yaml/json/props in them.
+
+## Encode value as yaml string
+Indent defaults to 2
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool:
+    bob: dylan
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool:
+    bob: dylan
+b: |
+  cool:
+    bob: dylan
+```
+
+## Encode value as yaml string, with custom indentation
+You can specify the indentation level as the first parameter.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool:
+    bob: dylan
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml(8))' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool:
+    bob: dylan
+b: |
+  cool:
+          bob: dylan
+```
+
+## Encode value as yaml string, using toyaml
+Does the same thing as to_yaml, matching jq naming convention.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+b: |
+  cool: thing
+```
+
+## Encode value as json string
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_json)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+b: |
+  {
+    "cool": "thing"
+  }
+```
+
+## Encode value as json string, on one line
+Pass in a 0 indent to print json on a single line.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_json(0))' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+b: '{"cool":"thing"}'
+```
+
+## Encode value as props string
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | to_props)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  cool: thing
+b: |
+  cool = thing
+```
+
+## Decode a yaml encoded string
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a: 'foo: bar'
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.b = (.a | from_yaml)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a: 'foo: bar'
+b:
+  foo: bar
+```
+
+## Update a multiline encoded yaml string
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a: |
+  foo: bar
+  baz: dog
+
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a: |
+  foo: cat
+  baz: dog
+```
+
+## Update a single line encoded yaml string
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a: 'foo: bar'
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a: 'foo: cat'
+```
+