Proposal: YAML-like structure syntax

_From @YamiOdymel on [2016-12-10 10:16](https://github.com/coffeescript6/discuss/issues/59)_

I still don't see why can't we use YAML-like syntax after read three of the issue which mentioned below, and I also feel that `{`, `}` and `[`, `]` are the most un-CoffeeScript syntaxes (Not _indent_ enough).

So instead of having (*CoffeeScript*)
```coffeescript
kids = sister:
name : 'Ida'
age : 9
parents: [
{
name : 'Caris'
relation: 'xxx'
}
{
name : 'Mike'
relation: 'xxx'
}
]
```

can we have RAML-like syntax like this?

```coffeescript
kids = sister:
name : 'Ida'
age : 9
parents:
- name : 'Caris'
relation: 'xxx'
- name : 'Mike'
relation: 'xxx'

```

and both compile to

```javascript
var kids =
{
sister:
{
name : "Ida",
age : 9,
parents:
[
{ name: 'Caris', relation: 'xxx' },
{ name: 'Mike' , relation: 'xxx' }
]
}
};
```

---

# More Examples

## Types

CoffeeScript

```coffeescript
types = [
-1
'2'
0.3
->
alert 'foo, bar'
helloFunc
]
```

YAML-like (_the CoffeeScript one might be better than this_)

```coffeescript
types =
- -1
- "2"
- 0.3
- ->
alert "foo, bar"
- helloFunc
```

JavaScript

```javascript
var types =
[
-1,
"2",
0.3,
function()
{
alert("foo, bar")
},
helloFunc
]
```

# Large structure

CoffeeScript

```coffeescript
objs = [ {
username: 'YamiOdymel'
nickname: 'yamiodymel'
avatar :
small: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-small'
medium: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-medium'
large: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-large'
hobbies:
most: [
'tech'
'sport'
'eco'
]
medium: [
'animals'
'music'
]
lowest: [ 'science' ]
} ]
```

YAML-like

```coffeescript
objs =
- username: 'YamiOdymel'
nickname: 'yamiodymel'
avatar:
small : 'http://www.example.com/example.png-small'
medium: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-medium'
large : 'http://www.example.com/example.png-large'
hobbies:
most:
- 'tech'
- 'sport'
- 'eco'
medium:
- 'animals'
- 'music'
lowest:
- 'science'
```

JavaScript

```javascript
objs =
[
{
username: 'YamiOdymel',
nickname: 'yamiodymel',
avatar:
{
small: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-small',
medium: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-medium',
large: 'http://www.example.com/example.png-large'
},
hobbies:
{
most : ['tech' , 'sport', 'eco'],
medium: ['animals', 'music'],
lowest: ['science']
}
}
]
```

---

# Other ideas

From [Terser array syntax](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/issues/2259)

```coffeescript
array = []
{}
key: value
bla: da
{}
key: value2
bla: doom
```

```coffeescript
foo :[]
'hooray'
'no closing character'
```

---

[Better support for YAML-like syntax](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/issues/645)
[Enhancement: possible solution to the Array-Literal-Without-Brackets problem](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/issues/3426)
[Terser array syntax](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/issues/2259)

No source files, tests, or entry points are named. Start by reviewing the linked prior syntax discussions and comparing the proposed YAML-like examples with current parser behavior; completion would require an agreed syntax and defined compiler and test scope.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.