Recently, Apple open-sourced Pkl (pronounced "Pickle"), a configuration-as-code language. Pkl has the the goal of streamlining configuration management, by serving as a command-line utility, software library, or build plugin.
Static configuration languages like JSON, YAML, or Property Lists are limited in expressivity and prone to errors as configurations become more complex. Often, these limitations lead to the introduction of auxiliary tools or custom logic, making the configuration resemble a programming language but with added complexity.
Alternatively, using general-purpose languages like Kotlin, Ruby, or JavaScript for configuration can be powerful but tricky, as they are not originally designed for defining and validating data.
Pkl aims to bridge this gap by providing a dedicated language for configuration that is easy to use and is not tied to a specific ecosystem. In Pkl development, developers have access to familiar language elements such as classes, functions, conditionals, and loops. Developers can establish abstraction layers, and facilitate code sharing through package creation and publication. More importantly, Pkl caters to diverse configuration requirements. It enables the generation of static configuration files in various formats or integration as a library within another application runtime.
When it comes to other features, within Pkl, validation is facilitated through type annotations, which may optionally include defined constraints. Constraints encompass arbitrary expressions, enabling the developer to define types capable of accommodating any validation criteria expressible in Pkl. For example, consider a sample type requirement stipulating a string of odd length where the first and last letters must match.
name: String(length.isOdd, chars.first == chars.last)
Pkl also offers the functionality to create and distribute packages, which can then be imported as dependencies in various projects. This facilitates seamless sharing of Pkl code across different projects.
Creating and publishing a package is also straightforward; developers can release it on GitHub or upload it to any desired location. Packages can be imported using absolute URIs.
import "package://pkg.pkl-lang.org/pkl-pantry/pkl.toml@1.0.0#/toml.pkl"
output { renderer = new toml.Renderer {} }
The tech community on Hacker News and Reddit took notice of this announcement. One of the Hacker News users jaseemabid mentioned, "Pkl was one of the best internal tools at Apple, and it’s so good to see it finally getting open-sourced." One of the Reddit users mawesome4ever was curious when more languages like Python and Node would be supported.
Pkl offers the capability to generate configuration in textual format and can also function as a library integrated into other languages through our language bindings. When integrating with a language, Pkl schema can be automatically converted into classes/structs within the target language.
When it comes to editing Pkl, users receive guidance as they fill in configuration data based on a provided template. The editor also offers real-time validation, flagging any invalid values, and provides immediate access to documentation. Other key features of the editor include Autocompletion, Navigation, and Validation.
To dive deeper into Pkl, resources such as tutorials and a language reference are available. Additionally, to interact with the Pkl community, users can participate in GitHub Discussions.