INI

INI is a traditional configuration file format that groups settings with [section] headers and key=value pairs; it is simple but unstandardized, and implementations differ slightly.

Purpose

To provide the simplest configuration format for small sets of flat key-value settings that need no nesting.

Mechanism

It consists of sections ([section]) and key-value pairs (key=value), with comments marked by ; or #. No nested structures and no types (everything is a string). Windows .ini files and Python configparser are common implementations whose syntax details vary.

Use cases

Windows configuration files
Git .gitconfig
Python configparser
Legacy application configuration

Examples

Input

[user]
name = Ada

Output

The section {user:{name:"Ada"}}

Everything is a string

Common errors

Implementations differ in syntax (comment markers, case handling): Pin down the target implementation and consult its documentation

Related terms

TOML (Tom's Obvious, Minimal Language) is a configuration-oriented format representing data with tables and key-value pairs, with explicit semantics and no implicit type inference.

YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a configuration-oriented data serialization format using indentation for hierarchy, supporting comments and references, and better suited to hand editing than JSON.

Java Properties files use KEY=VALUE or KEY:VALUE format; they are the traditional configuration format of the Java ecosystem and support Unicode escapes.

An ENV file defines environment variables in KEY=VALUE format for application configuration; it is the recommended approach of 12-factor apps.

Related tools

Ini To Json — pure client-side tool. Privacy-first, no server round-trip.

Ini To Toml — pure client-side tool. Privacy-first, no server round-trip.

Ini To Yaml — pure client-side tool. Privacy-first, no server round-trip.

References