Learn YAML with online courses and programs

YAML is a human-readable data sterilization language for IT professionals who want to work with Infrastructure as Code. Learn how YAML can help you work more effectively and efficiently with courses delivered through edX.

What is YAML?

YAML is a multipurpose data serialization language with robust computation capabilities. It shares some features with common programming languages such as Perl, HTML, XML, and C, while having human-readable syntax. This means that instead of using square brackets, quotation marks, braces, or closing tags, the structure follows Python-style indentation, making it simple to read.

YAML can represent any native data structure, including literals, lists, dictionaries, and associative arrays. You can also use YAML for software configuration files and other programming functions, as it supports languages like Ruby, Java, and Python. If you work with data, or you plan to start a career in a data-focused field, YAML can be a useful tool in your skill set. Explore ways you can learn how to leverage this human-centered language with edX courses.

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YAML tutorial curriculum

If you are interested in learning YAML, an online YAML tutorial can help. A comprehensive YAML course can provide an overview of collections, structures, scalars, tags, and YAML nodes. Introductory courses may teach you about anchors and aliases, as well as syntax conventions. You may also learn about YAML comments, block style and flow style, document streams and productions, and recommended schemas like Failsafe and JSON.

Learning YAML can benefit individuals interested in pursuing a career in technology. A bachelor’s degree program in a field such as computer science or a related topic can provide learners with a structured format for gaining critical industry skills. edX also offers master’s degree programs, which can be valuable for acquiring a deeper understanding of concepts related to your field. Busy professionals may also leverage executive education programs as well as accelerated boot camps on topics like coding, product management, or data analytics to advance their skill sets through more flexible learning formats. Find the right course for you.

Explore jobs that use YAML

Your ability to use YAML to its full potential will largely depend on your existing skill set and professional experience. As you explore the range of challenging and exciting job opportunities in the tech industry, make a note of the requirements for each, then tailor your education accordingly.

A few jobs you may be able to qualify for with knowledge of YAML and other industry tools include:

Data scientist: Manages configuration files and data for modeling projects and data analysis. They can also help organize data in a way that makes it easy to work with.^{Footnote 1}
Web developer: Uses various programming languages to create and manage web applications. They may use YAML in page layouts and website templates.^{Footnote 2}
Software engineer: Can use YAML to test and deploy processes. They can also configure files and enable data exchange between various programming languages.^{Footnote 3}
DevOps engineer: Can leverage YAML to configure automation tools like Ansible playbooks that allow them to manage deployment and infrastructure pipelines.^{Footnote 4}
Technical writer: Can create and manage documentation with tools like Sphinx or Read the Docs with the help of YAML.^{Footnote 5}
Database administrator: Can manage servers and services with database automation tools that use YAML.^{Footnote 6}

How to use YAML in your career

YAML is flexible and easy to use, and it can be a beneficial asset in managing complex workflows and projects. Outside of computer science and data analytics, YAML can be a great asset in other jobs. Project managers can use YAML to define assignments and deadlines, and manage project configurations in tools like Trello or Jira. Cybersecurity analysts can use YAML to manage security automation tools and define security policies. Quality assurance engineers can leverage YAML to test frameworks like Cypress and define test cases. Network engineers can configure network services and devices with YAML.

With a wide variety of applications, taking courses to learn YAML can provide a strong foundation to launch a lifelong programming career.

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Frequently asked questions

What is YAML used for?

YAML has applications in data science and software development projects. You can define and manage configurations for applications, services, and infrastructure resources. Additional features include data exchange between applications that make it easier to integrate different systems, as well as technical documentation.

What is a YAML file?

A YAML file is a human-readable data serialization format that can help define and manage configuration, structure data, and data models. Users can configure files and exchange data between programming languages. Compared to other data serialization formats like XML and JSON, YAML is easier to read and write because it defines data structures and hierarchies with whitespace indentation. They are particularly useful in software engineering, web development, and data science.

What does YAML stand for?

YAML stands for Yet Another Markup Language. However, it also has a recursive acronym: “YAML ain’t markup language.”^{Footnote 7} This means that YAML is not a markup language like HTML, but rather a data serialization language.

How do you create a YAML file?

You can create a YAML file in three ways. First, you can get a YAML configuration template file. An Ansible file template is one example of this. Second, you can use a text editor to create a YAML structure or syntax. Finally, you can use a YAML URL to create a file.^{Footnote 8}

Is YAML the same as Python?

Despite both languages emphasizing human readability, YAML and Python are different. YAML is a data serialization language, while Python is a programming language for various applications like artificial intelligence, automation, and web development. Python can manipulate and parse YAML files with the help of YAML libraries like PyYAML.

Why is YAML so popular?

YAML is popular because it’s human-readable and lightweight. It has an advantage of supporting comments, which makes it simple to edit. YAML supports complex data types and because there are no brackets or quotes for functions, reading the language is quite natural.^{Footnote 9}