Convert CSV to YAML (For Config Files)

YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is the standard for configuration files today. Kubernetes, Ansible, Docker Compose, Jekyll/Hugo front matter—they all use YAML.

Sometimes you have a spreadsheet of configurations (e.g., a list of users, ports, or redirects) that you need to convert into a YAML file.

The Format Difference

CSV:

name,role,port
app-1,web,80
app-2,db,5432

YAML (List of Objects):

- name: app-1
  role: web
  port: 80
- name: app-2
  role: db
  port: 5432

YAML relies on indentation. It is cleaner to read than JSON or XML.

Method 1: Python (Pandas or PyYAML)

The easiest way to automate this.

import pandas as pd
import yaml

# Read CSV
df = pd.read_csv('data.csv')

# Convert to dict
data = df.to_dict(orient='records')

# Dump to YAML
with open('data.yaml', 'w') as f:
    yaml.dump(data, f, sort_keys=False)

Method 2: Online Converter

For quick copy-paste jobs.

-> Convert CSV to YAML

Handling Nested Data

CSV is flat. YAML is often nested.

CSV:

server,env.name,env.cpu
web01,prod,4

Desired YAML:

- server: web01
  env:
    name: prod
    cpu: 4

Most simple converters will produce keys with dots ("env.name": "prod"). To get true nesting, you need a script that parses the dot-notation in headers and builds a nested dictionary.

Data Types

YAML is smart about types.

• true becomes boolean.
• 123 becomes integer.
• 123.45 becomes float.
• 2024-01-01 becomes date.

Gotcha: If you have a version number like 1.10, YAML might read it as a float 1.1. Fix: Quote it in the CSV or force string type in your converter to keep it as "1.10".

Summary

• YAML is great for config.
• Use Python/Pandas for robust conversion.
• Watch out for indentation (2 spaces is standard).
• Be careful with type inference on version numbers.

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Config files from spreadsheets? HappyCSV converts CSV to clean, valid YAML instantly.