MySQL to YAML Converter

About MySQL to YAML Converter

Convert MySQL database dumps (CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements) to YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) format. YAML is a human-friendly data serialization format commonly used for configuration files, data exchange, and infrastructure as code.

Key Features

• Array of Objects: Standard YAML array format with dash syntax
• Object with Keys: Nested object format with numeric keys
• Type Detection: Automatic detection of strings, numbers, booleans, and null
• Smart Quoting: Auto, always, or minimal string quoting
• Configurable Indentation: 2 or 4 space indentation
• Metadata Comments: Optional comments with conversion details
• Special Character Escaping: Proper escaping for strings
• File Download: Save as .yaml file

How to Use

1. Input MySQL Data: Paste your MySQL CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements or upload a .sql file
2. Choose Format: Select array of objects or object with keys format
3. Configure Options: Set indentation, quoting, and comments
4. Copy or Download: Use the Copy or Download button to save your YAML file

Output Formats

Array of Objects:

• Uses YAML array syntax with dashes
• Each record is an object in the array
• Standard format for lists of items
• Easy to iterate in code

Object with Keys:

• Uses numeric keys for each record
• Nested object structure
• Good for indexed access
• Preserves order explicitly

Example Conversion

MySQL Input:

CREATE TABLE users (
  id INT,
  username VARCHAR(50),
  email VARCHAR(100),
  active BOOLEAN
);

INSERT INTO users VALUES (1, 'john_doe', 'john@example.com', true);
INSERT INTO users VALUES (2, 'jane_smith', 'jane@example.com', false);

YAML Output (Array of Objects):

users:
  - id: 1
    username: john_doe
    email: john@example.com
    active: true

  - id: 2
    username: jane_smith
    email: jane@example.com
    active: false

YAML Output (Object with Keys):

users:
  0:
    id: 1
    username: john_doe
    email: john@example.com
    active: true

  1:
    id: 2
    username: jane_smith
    email: jane@example.com
    active: false

Common Use Cases

• Configuration Files: Application and service configuration
• Docker Compose: Container orchestration configuration
• Kubernetes: K8s manifests and resource definitions
• Ansible: Playbooks and inventory files
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI configs
• Data Serialization: Language-agnostic data exchange
• API Responses: Human-readable API data format

YAML Data Types

The converter automatically detects and converts to appropriate YAML types:

• Strings: Text values (quoted or unquoted based on settings)
• Integers: Whole numbers without quotes
• Floats: Decimal numbers without quotes
• Booleans: true or false (lowercase)
• Null: null keyword for empty/NULL values

String Quoting Options

Auto (Recommended):

• Quotes strings only when necessary
• Prevents YAML parsing ambiguities
• Balances readability and correctness
• Handles special characters properly

Always:

• All strings are quoted
• Maximum safety and predictability
• Easier to parse programmatically
• Larger file size

Minimal:

• Avoids quotes when possible
• Most human-readable
• Smallest file size
• May require careful validation

Indentation

• 2 Spaces: YAML standard, more compact
• 4 Spaces: More readable for complex structures
• Consistency: Use same indentation throughout project
• No Tabs: YAML does not allow tabs for indentation

Special Characters

Characters that require quoting in YAML:

• Colon (:): Key-value separator
• Hash (#): Comment indicator
• Brackets ([]): Array syntax
• Braces ({}): Object syntax
• Pipe (|): Literal block scalar
• Greater than (>): Folded block scalar
• Ampersand (&): Anchor
• Asterisk (*): Alias

Supported MySQL Syntax

• CREATE TABLE: Extracts column names for YAML keys
• INSERT INTO: Parses data values from INSERT statements
• Data Types: Handles all MySQL data types (VARCHAR, INT, BOOLEAN, etc.)
• Quoted Strings: Handles single and double quotes with proper escaping

YAML Applications

• Docker: docker-compose.yml configuration
• Kubernetes: Pod, Service, Deployment manifests
• Ansible: Automation playbooks and roles
• GitHub Actions: Workflow definitions
• Swagger/OpenAPI: API specifications
• Spring Boot: application.yml configuration
• Jekyll: Static site configuration

YAML Advantages

• Human-Readable: Easy to read and write by humans
• Minimal Syntax: Less verbose than JSON or XML
• Comments: Supports comments with # character
• Multi-line Strings: Natural support for multi-line text
• Type-Safe: Explicit data types
• Anchors & Aliases: Reuse values with & and *

Best Practices

• Consistent Indentation: Use same spacing throughout
• Quote Ambiguous Strings: Use auto quoting mode
• Add Comments: Document complex structures
• Validate: Use YAML linters to catch errors
• Version Control: YAML works great with Git
• Keep Simple: Avoid overly complex nesting

YAML vs JSON

• YAML: More human-readable, supports comments, less verbose
• JSON: Stricter syntax, better for APIs, faster parsing
• Compatibility: YAML is a superset of JSON (valid JSON is valid YAML)
• Use Case: YAML for config, JSON for data exchange

Privacy & Security

All conversions happen locally in your browser. Your MySQL data is never uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security.