About YINI — An INI-Inspired Configuration Format

YINI is an INI-inspired text-based data format designed for clarity, simple section nesting, and predictable parsing.

YINI is a practical evolution of classic INI: retaining the familiar, lightweight feel while adding real structure such as nested sections, lists (arrays), objects, and clearly defined parsing rules.

The format’s syntax and behavior are formally defined in the YINI Specification, which provides a stable and consistent foundation for implementations.

YINI is created and maintained by Marko K. Seppänen as an open-source project under the YINI-lang GitHub organization, with ongoing refinement, tooling, and community contributions.

About the Creator

YINI was first authored in 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Marko K. Seppänen (Sweden via Finland).

Mr. Seppänen has been programming since the mid-1980s, starting with platforms and languages such as BASIC (including multiple BASIC dialects), C, Java, and Assembler, and later programming across both mainstream and more specialized languages — from C# to Haskell and Erlang.

He studied Computer Science & Technology and Master’s in Software Development with a focus on Programming Languages, at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden).

Professionally, he has decades of experience in software development and engineering, particularly in TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, PHP, and full-stack web development, as well as tooling and both user- and developer-focused systems.

Next steps:

• ➡️ Quick Tutorial
  5-minute guided walkthrough of YINI.
• ➡️ FAQ
  Common questions, rules, and gotchas about YINI.
• ➡️ Examples
  Real-world YINI configuration examples.