SSM Specification Version 1.1

Overview

SSM is a lightweight markup language for simple configurations. It supports value assignments, groupings, and comments in a human-readable format similar to INI files, with a more straightforward syntax.

1. File Structure

An SSM file consists of:

• Ungrouped Values: Key-value pairs that are not grouped, written outside any [group] section.
• Grouped Values: Key-value pairs grouped under a [group_name] declaration.
• Comments: Text comments that begin with a #. Example:

# This is an ungrouped value
example_value = "Hello, SSM!"

[group_name]
key1 = 42
key2 = "A grouped string"

2. Basic Elements

2.1 Key-Value Assignment

• Assign values to keys using the syntax: key = value.
• Keys are alphanumeric and can contain underscores (_), but no whitespace.
• Values can be:
  • Strings: Enclosed in double quotes ("...").
  • Integers: A sequence of digits (1234).

Example:

name = "Simple Structured Markup"
version = 1

2.2 Groups

• Groups are declared by enclosing a group name in square brackets ([group_name]).
• Group names are alphanumeric and can contain underscores (_).
• Values under a group apply to the current group until a new group is defined or the file ends.

Example:

[group1]
setting1 = 100
setting2 = "Grouped text"

[group2]
count = 5

2.3 Comments

• Comments start with # and continue to the end of the line.
• Comments can appear:
  • On a line by themselves.
  • At the end of a key-value assignment.

Example:

# This is a standalone comment
name = "SSM" # This is an inline comment

3. Data Types

• String: Text wrapped in double quotes. SSM allows any characters within double quotes, including numbers, which will be treated as strings.
  • Example: title = "Hello, World!"
• Integer: A sequence of digits representing a whole number, without quotes.
  • Example: version = 2

4. Rules and Constraints

1. Key Syntax:

• Must start with a letter or underscore.
• Only alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed (no spaces).

2. Group Syntax:

• Must start with a letter or underscore.
• Enclosed in square brackets ([group_name]).
• Group name must not contain spaces.

3. Value Syntax:

• Integers are written directly without quotes (e.g., number = 42).
• Strings are enclosed in double quotes (e.g., text = "hello").
• Mixing integers and strings in a single value requires quoting (e.g., mixed = "123abc").

4. Comment Syntax:

• Begins with # and can be placed on any line.
• Inline comments must be preceded by at least one space.

5. No Nesting:

• SSM does not support nested groups or complex data types like arrays or dictionaries.

6. Line Breaks:

• Each key-value pair or group declaration must be on its own line.

5. Examples

Example 1: Basic File Structure

# An ungrouped key-value pair
application_name = "MyApp"

[general]
version = 1
description = "This is a simple app."

[database]
host = "localhost"
port = 5432

Example 2: Mixed Value Types

name = "Sample Config" # App name as a string
timeout = 30 # Timeout in seconds as an integer

[server]
ip = "192.168.1.1"
port = 8080

[logging]
log_level = "info"
max_file_size = 1048576

6. Parsing and Usage Notes

• Parser Considerations:
  • An SSM parser should recognize lines starting with # as comments.
  • Group declarations (e.g., [group_name]) indicate that all subsequent key-value pairs belong to that group until a new group or end of file.
  • Ungrouped values are interpreted as global or general configuration settings.