YAML Aliases
A YAML alias references an already-defined anchor node with *name, letting multiple places share one node instance.
Purpose
To reference anchor-defined nodes in YAML, achieving shared references instead of copies.
Mechanism
*alias resolves to the node marked with the matching &anchor. An alias is a shared reference: mutating the referenced node (when mutable) affects every alias site. YAML 1.2 removed anchors but most implementations still support them.
Use cases
- Sharing configuration nodes
- YAML DRY
- Matrix definition reuse