Merge Keys and Alias:

[BariHub]

I am currently using C# on Visual Studio 2022 and have been parsing some YAML files and would like to know how do you create merge keys and alias' nodes. For example, I have constructed a YamlStream that contain the following information:

  YamlMappingNode wRoot = new YamlMappingNode();
  YamlSequenceNode wWorkPositions = new YamlSequenceNode();
  YamlMappingNode wImmersiveDeveloper = new YamlMappingNode();
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Description"), new YamlScalarNode("Developer"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Level"), new YamlScalarNode("6"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Location"), new YamlScalarNode("In the Office"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Anchor = "DEVELOPER";
  YamlMappingNode wJobDesc = new YamlMappingNode();
  wJobDesc.Add(new YamlScalarNode("JobDescription"), wImmersiveDeveloper);
  wWorkPoisition.Add(wJobDesc);

  YamlMappingNode wSpecialist = new YamlMappingNode();
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Description"), new YamlScalarNode("Specialist"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Level"), new YamlScalarNode("9"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Location"), new YamlScalarNode("In the Lab"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Anchor = "IS";
  YamlMappingNode wJobDesc = new YamlMappingNode();
  wJobDesc.Add(new YamlScalarNode("JobDescription"), wSpecialist);
  wWorkPoisition.Add(wJobDesc);

  YamlMappingNode wGroupLeader = new YamlMappingNode();
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Description"), new YamlScalarNode("Group Leader"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Level"), new YamlScalarNode("10"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Location"), new YamlScalarNode("In the Conference Room"));
  wImmersiveDeveloper.Anchor = "GL";
  YamlMappingNode wJobDesc = new YamlMappingNode();
  wJobDesc.Add(new YamlScalarNode("JobDescription"), wGroupLeader);
  wWorkPoisition.Add(wJobDesc);

  wRoot.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Jobs"), wWorkPositions);

  YamlMappingNode wEmployeeInfo = new YamlMappingNode();
  wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("first name"), new YamlScalarNode("dwayne"));
  wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("last name"), new YamlScalarNode("johnson"));

  YamlSequenceNode wSkills = new YamlSequenceNode();
  wSkills.Add(new YamlScalarNode("C++"));
  wSkills.Add(new YamlScalarNode("C#"));
  wSkills.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Unreal"));
  wSkills.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Javascript"));
  wSkills.Add(new YamlScalarNode("SQL"));

  wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Skills"), wSkills);
  YamlMappingNode wAlias = new YamlMappingNode();
  wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Current Position"), new YamlScalarNode("Unreal"));

  wRoot.Add(new YamlScalarNode("EmployeeInfo"), wEmployeeInfo);

  YamlDocument wDocument = new YamlDocument(wRoot);
  YamlStream wYamlStream = new YamlStream();
  wYamlStream.Add(wDocument);

  string wOutput;
  StringBuilder wStringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
  using (StringWriter = new StringWriter(wStringBuilder))
  {
    wYamlStream.Save(wWriter, false);
    wOutput = wStringBuilder.ToString();
  }

  Console.WriteLine(wOutput);`

If I were to output this stream to the console or a file, it will look like the following:

• JobDescription: &DEVELOPER
  Description: Developer
  Level: 6
  Location: In the Office
• JobDescription: &IS
  Description: Specialist
  Level: 9
  Location: In the Lab
• JobDescription: &GL
  Description: Group Leader
  Level: 10
  Location: In the Conference Room
  EmployeeInfo:
  first name: dwayne
  last name: johnson
  skills:
  • C++
  • C#
  • unreal
  • javascript
  • SQL
    CurrentPosition: unreal

However, I would like to append the first job description to the bottom of the CurrentPosition Node using merge key/alias, like so:

• JobDescription: &DEVELOPER
  Description: Developer
  Level: 6
  Location: In the Office
• JobDescription: &IS
  Description: Specialist
  Level: 9
  Location: In the Lab
• JobDescription: &GL
  Description: Group Leader
  Level: 10
  Location: In the Conference Room
  EmployeeInfo:
  first name: dwayne
  last name: johnson
  skills:
  • C++
  • C#
  • unreal
  • javascript
  • SQL
    CurrentPosition: unreal
    <<: *DEVELOPER

Is there a way to do this?

[Flatlid]

Hello @aaubry / @EdwardCooke
I have come across a similar issue in the past using YamlDotNet. I had explored the sources and found YamlAliasNode, but that object is tagged as internal. In the end, I ended up not using Anchor/Alias for other reasons, so I didn't see a reason to open a discussion item, but seeing this post sure brings back memories. From my understanding, making YamlAliasNode this public would help resolve @BariHub 's problem. What do you think?

In the previous code snippet example,

YamlMappingNode wAlias = new YamlMappingNode();
wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Current Position"), new YamlScalarNode("Unreal"));

Would become:

YamlAliasNode wAlias = new YamlAliasNode(new AnchorName("DEVELOPER"));
wEmployeeInfo.Add(new YamlScalarNode("Current Position"), wAlias);

[EdwardCooke]

I wonder why that isn’t already a public class. I’ll take a look at it and see about making it public. There may be some underlying reasons it’s not.

[BariHub]

Thank you very much for replying, will keep a close eye on any updates!