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YINI
A clear and structured config format
By the YINI-lang project

YINI Test Suite CLI

Check YINI parser behavior against shared YINI test cases.

yini-test-suite is a command-line tool (a tool you run from a terminal) for checking YINI parser implementations. It provides a shared set of test cases so different parsers can be checked against the same examples and expected results.

In plain language: if someone builds a YINI parser, this tool helps them check that the parser understands YINI files in the same way as other YINI tools.

If you only want to check/validate your own .yini configuration files, start with the YINI CLI. The test suite CLI itself is mainly for people building, maintaining, or reviewing YINI parser tools/packages/libraries.

What is it for?

The YINI Test Suite CLI is for parser compatibility. Compatibility means that different tools agree on how YINI files should be read, accepted, rejected, and turned into data.

It is useful when you want to:

  • Check that a YINI parser follows the current YINI rules.
  • Catch parser behavior changes before they become bugs.
  • Compare a parser against shared test files.
  • Test edge cases (small tricky examples that can reveal parser mistakes).
  • Keep parser behavior stable over time.

The official TypeScript and Python parsers are tested against this suite.

Who is it for?

This tool is mainly for:

  • Parser authors building a YINI parser some programming language.
  • Tool maintainers adding YINI support to editors, CLIs, build tools, or services.
  • YINI contributors checking behavior while working on the format or its tools.
  • Advanced users who want to understand whether a parser behaves as expected.

If you are new to YINI and just want to write a clear settings/config file, you probably do not need this tool yet. Use the quick tutorial, the YINI CLI, or the examples first.

Why use it?

YINI is designed to be clear and predictable. A shared test suite helps protect that goal across different implementations.

YINI’s own official parser tools, including the TypeScript parser and Python parser, are also tested against this suite. That helps keep the official tools aligned with the same shared expectations.

Use yini-test-suite when you want confidence that a parser:

  • Accepts valid YINI examples.
  • Rejects invalid YINI examples.
  • Handles strict and lenient behavior consistently where those modes apply.
  • Produces stable results for the same input.
  • Does not accidentally change behavior after a parser update.

This is especially helpful before releasing a parser version, reviewing parser changes, or adding YINI support to another language.

What can you use it for?

Common uses include:

  • Conformance checks: checking that a parser follows the expected format rules. Conformance means “does this implementation behave the way the format expects?”
  • Regression checks: rerunning tests after changes to make sure old behavior was not broken.
  • CI checks: automated checks in a build system or pull request. CI (continuous integration) means tests run automatically when code changes.
  • Parser comparison: checking whether two parser implementations handle the same YINI input in the same way.
  • Debugging parser issues: using small focused test cases to understand where behavior differs from expectations.

How it fits with other YINI tools

YINI has a few different tools with different jobs:

  • Use YINI CLI to validate, inspect, and convert YINI files.
  • Use YINI parsers to load YINI files in application code.
  • Use yini-test-suite to check whether a YINI parser behaves consistently against shared parser tests.

So the test suite is not the everyday tool for editing a config file. It is the tool that helps parser builders keep the YINI ecosystem predictable.

Quick start

The quickest way to inspect the current command help is:

npx yini-test-suite --help

This runs the package with npx (a Node.js command that can run npm packages without installing them globally first).

If you use the tool often, you can install it globally:

npm install -g yini-test-suite
yini-test-suite --help

The help output shows the commands and options supported by the version you are using.

Typical workflow

A normal workflow looks like this:

  1. Build or update a YINI parser.
  2. Run the YINI test suite against that parser.
  3. Review any failing test cases.
  4. Fix the parser or update the test expectation if the specification changed.
  5. Run the suite again before releasing or merging changes.

The exact setup depends on the parser language and project. For example, a TypeScript parser and a Python parser may connect to the suite in different ways, but the goal is the same: run shared YINI examples and check the result.

When not to use it

You probably do not need yini-test-suite if you only want to:

  • Check whether one .yini file is valid.
  • Convert YINI to JSON, YAML, XML, or JavaScript.
  • Learn the YINI syntax for writing configuration files.

For those tasks, use the YINI CLI and the YINI learning pages.

Learn more