Convert Textile to YML

Why Convert Textile to YML?

Converting Textile to YML is ideal when you need to extract structured data from Textile-formatted documents and save it with the .yml extension, which is the convention used by many popular tools. Docker Compose, Ruby on Rails, Travis CI, GitHub Actions, and other platforms specifically expect .yml files, making this conversion directly applicable to DevOps and development workflows.

The .yml extension is functionally identical to .yaml -- both follow the same YAML specification and are parsed by the same libraries. The choice between .yml and .yaml is purely a convention. Docker Compose uses docker-compose.yml, Rails uses database.yml, and GitHub Actions uses .yml by default. Our converter outputs the file with the .yml extension to match these conventions.

Textile documents from Redmine often contain configuration data, deployment notes, server settings, and other structured information in table and list format. Converting this to YML makes the data directly usable in modern DevOps pipelines without manual reformatting. The clean, indentation-based output is easy to read and edit by hand.

Key Benefits of Converting Textile to YML:

• Convention Matching: .yml extension expected by Docker, Rails, CI/CD tools
• DevOps Integration: Direct use in Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, Travis CI
• Clean Output: Properly indented, human-readable YML data
• Structured Data: Tables and lists converted to mappings and sequences
• Configuration Ready: Output usable as application configuration
• Same as YAML: Full YAML 1.2 specification compliance
• Rails Compatible: Direct use in Ruby on Rails config files

Practical Examples

Example 1: Deployment Spec from Wiki

Input Textile file (deploy.textile):

h1. Production Deployment

h2. Services

|_. Name |_. Image |_. Port |
| nginx | nginx:alpine | 80 |
| app | myapp:latest | 3000 |
| redis | redis:7 | 6379 |

h2. Volumes

* /data/nginx/conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d
* /data/app/logs:/app/logs
* redis-data:/data

Output YML file (deploy.yml):

document:
  title: "Production Deployment"

services:
  - name: "nginx"
    image: "nginx:alpine"
    port: 80
  - name: "app"
    image: "myapp:latest"
    port: 3000
  - name: "redis"
    image: "redis:7"
    port: 6379

volumes:
  - "/data/nginx/conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d"
  - "/data/app/logs:/app/logs"
  - "redis-data:/data"

Example 2: CI/CD Pipeline Notes

Input Textile file (pipeline.textile):

h1. CI Pipeline Configuration

h2. Build Stage

# Install dependencies
# Run linter
# Execute unit tests

h2. Deploy Stage

# Build Docker image
# Push to registry
# Update Kubernetes deployment

Output YML file (pipeline.yml):

document:
  title: "CI Pipeline Configuration"

build_stage:
  - "Install dependencies"
  - "Run linter"
  - "Execute unit tests"

deploy_stage:
  - "Build Docker image"
  - "Push to registry"
  - "Update Kubernetes deployment"

Example 3: Application Settings

Input Textile file (settings.textile):

h1. Application Settings

h2. Database

|_. Key |_. Value |
| adapter | postgresql |
| host | localhost |
| port | 5432 |
| database | myapp_production |
| pool | 25 |

h2. Cache

|_. Key |_. Value |
| store | redis |
| url | redis://localhost:6379/0 |
| ttl | 3600 |

Output YML file (settings.yml):

document:
  title: "Application Settings"

database:
  adapter: "postgresql"
  host: "localhost"
  port: 5432
  database: "myapp_production"
  pool: 25

cache:
  store: "redis"
  url: "redis://localhost:6379/0"
  ttl: 3600

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the difference between YML and YAML?

A: YML and YAML are the exact same format -- the only difference is the file extension (.yml vs .yaml). Both follow the YAML specification and are parsed identically by all YAML libraries. The .yml extension is commonly used by Docker Compose, Ruby on Rails, Travis CI, and GitHub Actions. The .yaml extension is officially recommended by the YAML specification.

Q: Why use .yml instead of .yaml?

A: The .yml extension is shorter and is the convention used by many popular tools. Docker Compose expects docker-compose.yml, Rails uses database.yml, GitHub Actions uses .yml for workflows, and Travis CI uses .travis.yml. Using .yml ensures compatibility with these tools' naming conventions and expectations.

Q: How does the converter handle Textile tables?

A: Textile tables with header rows are converted to YML lists of mappings, where each row becomes a mapping with keys derived from the header columns. Two-column tables with key-value patterns become simple YML mappings. This intelligent mapping ensures the data is well-structured in the YML output.

Q: Can I use the output directly in Docker Compose?

A: The converted YML is valid YAML, but Docker Compose requires a specific schema (services, volumes, networks, etc.). The output provides structured data that you can adapt to Docker Compose format. For Textile documents that describe service configurations, the conversion provides a strong starting point.

Q: Does the converter handle indentation correctly?

A: Yes, the converter produces properly indented YML using 2-space indentation, which is the most common convention. YAML is whitespace-sensitive, so correct indentation is critical. The output is guaranteed to be valid and parseable by any YAML library.

Q: Are numbers automatically typed in the YML output?

A: Yes, the converter performs type detection. Numeric values from Textile tables are represented as YAML numbers (without quotes), boolean-like values can be represented as YAML booleans, and text values are properly quoted strings. This ensures the YML data has correct types for programmatic use.

Q: Can I convert Textile files from Redmine to YML?

A: Yes! Our converter supports all standard Textile syntax used in Redmine, including wiki pages, issue descriptions, and project documentation. The Textile content is parsed and converted into structured YML output suitable for configuration files, data migration, or any other use case requiring structured data.

Q: What tools can open YML files?

A: YML files can be opened with any text editor (VS Code, Sublime Text, vim, nano, Notepad++). VS Code and other modern editors provide syntax highlighting, validation, and auto-completion for YML files. Additionally, any YAML library in Python (PyYAML), Ruby (Psych), JavaScript (js-yaml), or other languages can parse YML files programmatically.