We’re excited to announce support for a new YAML-based representation of CEDAR metadata artifacts. YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) offers a more readable, compact alternative to JSON for defining CEDAR templates, elements, fields, and instances—making it easier for users and developers to understand and edit metadata structures.

Why YAML?

CEDAR templates have traditionally been represented as JSON Schema. While powerful and expressive, JSON Schema can be verbose and difficult to read or edit manually—especially for users reviewing or writing complex metadata templates.

The new YAML format addresses this by offering:

• Improved readability with cleaner indentation and less syntactic clutter
• Simpler hand-editing of templates for users comfortable with structured configuration formats
• Better version control diffs (changes in YAML are easier to interpret in Git-based workflows)
• Easier onboarding for those new to CEDAR or metadata specification

What’s Included

The YAML representation captures the full semantics of CEDAR artifacts, including:

• Template structure
• Field definitions and types
• Value constraints and cardinality
• Ontology bindings and value sets
• Required fields and conditional visibility

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