Show HN: XferLang, a data-transfer and configuration alternative to JSON

1 paulmooreparks 0 8/13/2025, 4:12:03 PM xferlang.org ↗

About nine months ago I posted about a language I had begun experimenting with, called XferLang. I got several helpful comments, and since then I've completely revamped the design and built a complete language spec and library around it. I've even integrated it into some apps I use daily. The language, intended to be an alternative to JSON and YAML, is a strongly typed, human‑readable/writable, structured text language. Where it differs from JSON is support for comments, strict typing of data, support for processing instructions (which are extensible), nascent scripting features, and embedding of text without the need for character escaping.

Right now it is implemented in a .NET 8.0 library, but I want to port it to other languages as well.

I'm looking for critiques on the language's ergonomics, opinions on its real-world applicability, and any reasons you would or wouldn't adopt something like this over JSON/YAML/TOML. Thanks for your feedback!

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Show HN: XferLang, a data-transfer and configuration alternative to JSON

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