TAO data module for JavaScript

This is a TAO data module for JavaScript. It provides two functions: parse and stringify. They are analogous to JSON.parse and JSON.stringify and can be used to serialize and deserialize data to and from TAO in the same way as JSON.

Usage

Same as JSON.parse and JSON.stringify for the one-argument case:

import * as TaoData from 'https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/tree-annotation/tao-data-js@v1-2021-03-22-beta/bundle.js'

const dataStr = TaoData.stringify({foo: "bar", baz: "quux"})
const data = TaoData.parse(dataStr)

console.log(dataStr) // foo[bar]baz[quux]
console.log(data) // { foo: "bar", baz: "quux" }

To stringify with pretty printing:

import * as TaoData from 'https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/tree-annotation/tao-data-js@v1-2021-03-22-beta/bundle.js'

const dataStr = TaoData.stringify({foo: {baz: "quux"}}, {indent: 2})

console.log(dataStr) /*

foo [
  baz [quux]
]
*/

Skipped entries, metadata, padded keys

The notation supports skipped entries (which can be used as comments), metadata (currently ignored, so also serves as comments), and padded keys:

regular key [with a value]

`# skipped key [skipped value]

another key`: with metadata [and a value]

`'[ padded key ] [and its value]

Parses to the following JSON:

{
  "regular key": "with a value",
  "another key": "and a value",
  " padded key ": "and its value"
}

Example configuration file

The following excerpt from the default Visual Studio Code configuration file written in JSONC (JSON with comments):

{
  // Controls whether the editor shows CodeLens.
  "diffEditor.codeLens": false,

  // When enabled, the diff editor ignores changes in leading or trailing whitespace.
  "diffEditor.ignoreTrimWhitespace": true,

  // Timeout in milliseconds after which diff computation is cancelled. Use 0 for no timeout.
  "diffEditor.maxComputationTime": 5000,

  // Controls whether the diff editor shows +/- indicators for added/removed changes.
  "diffEditor.renderIndicators": true,

  // Controls whether the diff editor shows the diff side by side or inline.
  "diffEditor.renderSideBySide": true,

  //  - off: Lines will never wrap.
  //  - on: Lines will wrap at the viewport width.
  //  - inherit: Lines will wrap according to the `editor.wordWrap` setting.
  "diffEditor.wordWrap": "inherit"
}

which is rendered as:

can be represented in TAO data as:

Diff Editor [

  Code Lens`:
    Controls whether the editor shows CodeLens.
  [false]


  Ignore Trim Whitespace`:
    When enabled, the diff editor ignores changes in leading or trailing whitespace.
  [true]


  Max Computation Time`:
    Timeout in milliseconds after which diff computation is cancelled. Use 0 for no timeout.
  [5000]


  Render Indicators`:
    Controls whether the diff editor shows +/- indicators for added/removed changes.
  [true]


  Render Side By Side`:
    Controls whether the diff editor shows the diff side by side or inline.
  [true]
  

  Word Wrap`:
    - off: Lines will never wrap.
    - on: Lines will wrap at the viewport width.
    - inherit: Lines will wrap according to the 'editor.wordWrap' setting.
  [inherit]

]

or more compactly:

Diff Editor [
  Code Lens [false]
  Ignore Trim Whitespace [true]
  Max Computation Time [5000]
  Render Indicators [true]
  Render Side By Side [true]
  Word Wrap [inherit]
]

or even more compactly:

Diff Editor[Code Lens[false]Ignore Trim Whitespace[true]Max Computation Time[5000]Render Indicators[true]Render Side By Side[true]Word Wrap[inherit]]

all of these would parse to the following JSON:

{
  "Diff Editor": {
    "Code Lens": "false",
    "Ignore Trim Whitespace": "true",
    "Max Computation Time": "5000",
    "Render Indicators": "true",
    "Render Side By Side": "true",
    "Word Wrap": "inherit"
  }
}

Equivalent TAO data once more, but with syntax highlighting: