json vs yaml: What are the differences?

# Introduction

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) are both commonly used data serialization formats. They both serve the purpose of storing and exchanging data, but there are key differences that differentiate them.

1. **Syntax**: JSON uses a more strict syntax compared to YAML, requiring quotations around keys and string values, while YAML allows for more relaxed syntax with minimal punctuation, making it more human-readable.
2. **Comments**: JSON does not support comments within the data structure, making it less flexible for annotations or explanations, whereas YAML allows for inline and multiline comments, improving readability and documentation.
3. **Data Types**: JSON has a limited set of data types such as string, number, boolean, array, and object, while YAML supports more data types like null, date, time, binary, and complex structures like mapping and sequences.
4. **Extensibility**: YAML offers more extensibility and customizability through the use of tags and anchors, allowing for more complex data transformations and linking between parts of the document, a feature not directly available in JSON.
5. **Complexity**: JSON tends to be simpler and easier to use for straightforward data structures, making it ideal for web development and APIs, while YAML's flexibility and features may introduce complexity and potential confusion in certain use cases.
6. **Security**: JSON is considered more secure due to its simpler design and stricter syntax, which reduces the risk of potential security vulnerabilities, while YAML's complexity and parsing capabilities could expose to more security risks if not handled carefully.

In Summary, JSON and YAML have distinct differences in syntax, comments, data types, extensibility, complexity, and security, making them suitable for different purposes depending on the requirements of the data serialization.