TOON Parser for PHP

A lightweight, human-readable data serialization format and parser for PHP.

TOON is designed to be:

• More readable than JSON
• More structured than YAML
• More predictable than custom formats

This library provides a full encoder/decoder for converting between PHP arrays, TOON format, and JSON.

? Features

• Convert PHP arrays ? TOON
• Convert TOON ? PHP arrays
• Convert seamlessly between JSON ? TOON

• Supports:

  * Primitive values * Nested objects * Lists * Table-like arrays (row-based structured data)

• Zero dependencies
• Strict typing (`declare(strict_types=1);`)
• Fully documented and easy to extend

? Installation

Manual installation

Just include the ToonParser.php file:

require_once 'ToonParser.php';

? What is TOON Format?

TOON is a structured, indentation-based text format.

It supports:

? Objects

config:
  setting1: true
  setting2: "value"

? Lists

users[2]:
  -
    id: 1
    name: Alice
  -
    id: 2
    name: Bob

? Primitive arrays

tags[3]:
  - red
  - green
  - blue

? Tabular data

users[2]{id,name,role}:
  1,Alice,admin
  2,Bob,user

? Example Usage

JSON ? TOON

$json = '{
  "name": "Alice",
  "active": true,
  "roles": ["admin", "editor"]
}';

echo jsonToToon($json);

Output:

name: Alice
active: true
roles[2]:
  - admin
  - editor

TOON ? JSON

$toon = '
user:
  id: 1
  name: "Alice Smith"
  active: true
';

echo toonToJson($toon);

Output:

{
    "user": {
        "id": 1,
        "name": "Alice Smith",
        "active": true
    }
}

? API Documentation

ToonParser

encode(array $data): string

Encodes a PHP array into TOON format.

$parser = new ToonParser();
$toon = $parser->encode($data);

decode(string $toonString): array

Parses a TOON string back into a PHP array.

$array = $parser->decode($toonData);

Helper functions

jsonToToon(string $json): string

Converts a JSON string into TOON.

toonToJson(string $toon): string

Converts TOON into formatted JSON.

? TOON Syntax Rules

? Primitive Types

| TOON | PHP | | -------- | --------- | | true | true | | false | false | | null | null | | numbers | int/float | | "text" | string |

Strings must be quoted only if they contain:

spaces , : { } [ ] newlines tabs

? Indentation

• Uses two spaces
• Nested objects depend on indentation
• No tabs allowed

? Lists

Begin with:

key[count]:

Items start with -.

? Tabular Data

Compact structured rows:

key[count]{col1,col2,col3}:
  value1,value2,value3

? Error Handling

The parser currently assumes valid TOON input. A strict validation mode can be added on request.

? Future Improvements (Roadmap)

• [ ] Strict validation engine
• [ ] Streaming encoder/decoder
• [ ] Syntax highlighter
• [ ] VSCode extension
• [ ] Standalone CLI tool
• [ ] JSON Schema ? TOON Schema converter

? Contributing

Pull requests are welcome. Please open an issue before adding major features.

? License

MIT License ? Free for personal & commercial use.

? About

TOON Parser was designed to provide a readable, predictable data format, bridging the simplicity of JSON and the clarity of indentation-based formats like YAML.