yq/operators/encode-decode.md

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:

a:
  cool:
    bob: dylan

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml)' sample.yml

will output

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:

a:
  cool:
    bob: dylan

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml(8))' sample.yml

will output

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:

a:
  cool: thing

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_yaml)' sample.yml

will output

a:
  cool: thing
b: |
  cool: thing  

Encode value as json string

Given a sample.yml file of:

a:
  cool: thing

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_json)' sample.yml

will output

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:

a:
  cool: thing

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_json(0))' sample.yml

will output

a:
  cool: thing
b: '{"cool":"thing"}'

Encode value as props string

Given a sample.yml file of:

a:
  cool: thing

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | to_props)' sample.yml

will output

a:
  cool: thing
b: |
  cool = thing  

Decode a yaml encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:

a: 'foo: bar'

then

yq eval '.b = (.a | from_yaml)' sample.yml

will output

a: 'foo: bar'
b:
  foo: bar

Update a multiline encoded yaml string

Given a sample.yml file of:

a: |
  foo: bar
  baz: dog  

then

yq eval '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml

will output

a: |
  foo: cat
  baz: dog  

Update a single line encoded yaml string

Given a sample.yml file of:

a: 'foo: bar'

then

yq eval '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml

will output

a: 'foo: cat'