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Encode / Decode

Encode operators will take the piped in object structure and encode it as a string in the desired format. The decode operators do the opposite, they take a formatted string and decode it into the relevant object structure.
Note that you can optionally pass an indent value to the encode functions (see below).
These operators are useful to process yaml documents that have stringified embedded yaml/json/props in them.
Format
Decode (from string)
Encode (to string)
Yaml
from_yaml/@yamld
to_yaml(i)/@yaml
JSON
from_json/@jsond
to_json(i)/@json
Properties
from_props/@propsd
to_props/@props
CSV
from_csv/@csvd
to_csv/@csv
TSV
from_tsv/@tsvd
to_tsv/@tsv
XML
from_xml/@xmld
to_xml(i)/@xml
Base64
@base64d
@base64
See CSV and TSV documentation for accepted formats.
XML uses the --xml-attribute-prefix and xml-content-name flags to identify attributes and content fields.
Base64 assumes rfc4648 encoding. Encoding and decoding both assume that the content is a string.

Encode value as json string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool: thing
then
yq '.b = (.a | to_json)' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool: thing
b: |
{
"cool": "thing"
}

Encode value as json string, on one line

Pass in a 0 indent to print json on a single line.
Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool: thing
then
yq '.b = (.a | to_json(0))' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool: thing
b: '{"cool":"thing"}'

Encode value as json string, on one line shorthand

Pass in a 0 indent to print json on a single line.
Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool: thing
then
yq '.b = (.a | @json)' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool: thing
b: '{"cool":"thing"}'

Decode a json encoded string

Keep in mind JSON is a subset of YAML. If you want idiomatic yaml, pipe through the style operator to clear out the JSON styling.
Given a sample.yml file of:
a: '{"cool":"thing"}'
then
yq '.a | from_json | ... style=""' sample.yml
will output
cool: thing

Encode value as props string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool: thing
then
yq '.b = (.a | @props)' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool: thing
b: |
cool = thing

Decode props encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: |-
cats=great
dogs=cool as well
then
yq '.a |= @propsd' sample.yml
will output
a:
cats: great
dogs: cool as well

Decode csv encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: |-
cats,dogs
great,cool as well
then
yq '.a |= @csvd' sample.yml
will output
a:
- cats: great
dogs: cool as well

Decode tsv encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: |-
cats dogs
great cool as well
then
yq '.a |= @tsvd' sample.yml
will output
a:
- cats: great
dogs: cool as well

Encode value as yaml string

Indent defaults to 2
Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool:
bob: dylan
then
yq '.b = (.a | to_yaml)' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool:
bob: dylan
b: |
cool:
bob: dylan

Encode value as yaml string, with custom indentation

You can specify the indentation level as the first parameter.
Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool:
bob: dylan
then
yq '.b = (.a | to_yaml(8))' sample.yml
will output
a:
cool:
bob: dylan
b: |
cool:
bob: dylan

Decode a yaml encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: 'foo: bar'
then
yq '.b = (.a | from_yaml)' sample.yml
will output
a: 'foo: bar'
b:
foo: bar

Update a multiline encoded yaml string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: |
foo: bar
baz: dog
then
yq '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml
will output
a: |
foo: cat
baz: dog

Update a single line encoded yaml string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: 'foo: bar'
then
yq '.a |= (from_yaml | .foo = "cat" | to_yaml)' sample.yml
will output
a: 'foo: cat'

Encode array of scalars as csv string

Scalars are strings, numbers and booleans.
Given a sample.yml file of:
- cat
- thing1,thing2
- true
- 3.40
then
yq '@csv' sample.yml
will output
cat,"thing1,thing2",true,3.40

Encode array of arrays as csv string

Given a sample.yml file of:
- - cat
- thing1,thing2
- true
- 3.40
- - dog
- thing3
- false
- 12
then
yq '@csv' sample.yml
will output
cat,"thing1,thing2",true,3.40
dog,thing3,false,12

Encode array of array scalars as tsv string

Scalars are strings, numbers and booleans.
Given a sample.yml file of:
- - cat
- thing1,thing2
- true
- 3.40
- - dog
- thing3
- false
- 12
then
yq '@tsv' sample.yml
will output
cat thing1,thing2 true 3.40
dog thing3 false 12

Encode value as xml string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool:
foo: bar
[email protected]: hi
then
yq '.a | to_xml' sample.yml
will output
<cool id="hi">
<foo>bar</foo>
</cool>

Encode value as xml string on a single line

Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool:
foo: bar
[email protected]: hi
then
yq '.a | @xml' sample.yml
will output
<cool id="hi"><foo>bar</foo></cool>

Encode value as xml string with custom indentation

Given a sample.yml file of:
a:
cool:
foo: bar
[email protected]: hi
then
yq '{"cat": .a | to_xml(1)}' sample.yml
will output
cat: |
<cool id="hi">
<foo>bar</foo>
</cool>

Decode a xml encoded string

Given a sample.yml file of:
a: <foo>bar</foo>
then
yq '.b = (.a | from_xml)' sample.yml
will output
a: <foo>bar</foo>
b:
foo: bar

Encode a string to base64

Given a sample.yml file of:
coolData: a special string
then
yq '.coolData | @base64' sample.yml
will output
YSBzcGVjaWFsIHN0cmluZw==

Encode a yaml document to base64

Pipe through @yaml first to convert to a string, then use @base64 to encode it.
Given a sample.yml file of:
a: apple
then
yq '@yaml | @base64' sample.yml
will output
YTogYXBwbGUK

Decode a base64 encoded string

Decoded data is assumed to be a string.
Given a sample.yml file of:
coolData: V29ya3Mgd2l0aCBVVEYtMTYg8J+Yig==
then
yq '.coolData | @base64d' sample.yml
will output
Works with UTF-16 😊

Decode a base64 encoded yaml document

Pipe through from_yaml to parse the decoded base64 string as a yaml document.
Given a sample.yml file of:
coolData: YTogYXBwbGUK
then
yq '.coolData |= (@base64d | from_yaml)' sample.yml
will output
coolData:
a: apple
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