I am now going to propose the key-value-inline-notation: KVIN. If JSON is that kid in the early '90s who had a l33t 286, then KVIN is JSON's older, iRoc driving

I am now going to propose the key-value-inline-notation: KVIN. If JSON is that kid in the early '90s who had a l33t 286, then KVIN is JSON's older, iRoc driving brother. KVIN has a 'stache that all the girls love. (It's a little thinner than Magnum P.I.s 'stache, right now.) A KVIN file follows one simple pattern: it's a list of key-values or comments. Comments are any line that starts with any amount of whitespace and then a '#'. A key-value starts with a key, ends with a value, and has a '=' in the middle: key = value A key is made up of any valid C-identifier or C-numeric expression. You can 'chain' keys together with '.'s: key ::= key [. axis] | axis axis ::= c-identifier | c-number A value is any valid c-identifier, c-number, or "byte string". A byte string starts with a '"', ends with a '"'. If you want to include a '"' then you have to escape with a '\'. If you want to include a '\', then you '\' the '\'. All whitespace is included in a byte-string: even a '\n'! Strangely, KVIN understands relative paths. If a key starts with '.' then that means it's relative to the path just above it. Each '.' means 'go up one level from the last value': foo.bar = 0 .baz = 2 Would be a JSON like this: { "foo" : { "bar" : 0, "baz" : 2 } } KVIN has one final trick, besides the busted old turbo he's been trying to get in his iRoc: he knows how to autonumber a list: foo.10 = a .# = b .# = c .# = d Which would be the JSON: { "foo" : [ ..., a, b, c, d ] } With 'a' starting at index '10'. (The base index of arrays is 0.) I've got code laying around, somewhere, that implements KVIN.