# Install yj with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix CLI to convert between YAML, TOML, JSON and HCL. Version 5.1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:yj ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install yj ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install yj ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/yj/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add yj ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: yj from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#yj ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/yj/yj/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:yj - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.1.0 - **Source summary:** CLI to convert between YAML, TOML, JSON and HCL - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - yj (cli) - yj (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.1.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/sclevine/yj - Upstream latest detected: v5.1.0 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage yj is a Go command-line converter between YAML, TOML, JSON, and HCL. Its defining package-nerd feature is preserving map order across conversions, a detail that matters when config files need to remain readable or diffable. ### Project history The project was published in March 2017 and reached v1.0 immediately. Its release line then expanded through v2.0 in 2018, v3 and v4 in 2019, and v5 in 2020-2022 as the supported format libraries and conversion semantics matured. The v5.0.0 release notes mark the major turning point: conversions between all formats began preserving map order, TOML moved to a 1.0 release candidate, YAML moved to yaml.v3, and the maintainer noted that order preservation required manually parsing library ASTs. v5.1.0 updated TOML support to TOML 1.0.0 and adjusted the Go module path. ### Adoption history yj is adopted by users who need shell-friendly data-format conversion without writing one-off scripts. The README documents Homebrew installation, release binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows, a Docker image, and use as Go packages for converting data formats into ordered Go objects. ### How it is used The yj CLI reads from stdin and uses compact two-letter flags to choose source and destination formats, such as YAML to JSON, JSON to YAML, TOML to HCL, or HCL to JSON. It also includes options for JSON indentation, HTML escaping, YAML key parsing, and NaN/Inf handling. ### Why package nerds care yj matters because it lives in the config-file conversion niche where jq, yq, hcl tools, and ad hoc scripts overlap. For package catalogs, it is a clean example of a small executable that bridges infrastructure formats rather than owning one format ecosystem. Order preservation is its standout detail: many converters can translate syntax, but fewer try to preserve human-authored map order across YAML, TOML, JSON, and HCL. ### Timeline - 2017-03: Repository created and v1.0 released. - 2018-06: v2.0 released. - 2019-01: v3.0 and v3.1.0 released. - 2019-05: v4.0.0 released. - 2020-07: v5.0.0 adds map-order preservation across all formats. - 2022-04: v5.1.0 updates TOML support to 1.0.0 and module path to v5. ### Related projects - YAML, TOML, JSON, and HCL: the four formats yj converts among. - jq and yq-style tools: neighboring command-line data transformation tools. - HashiCorp HCL: infrastructure configuration format supported by yj. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** yj - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - yj: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/yj/yj/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - yj - 1.2.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: yj from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Command line tool that converts YAML to JSON | https://github.com/bruceadams/yj - MacPorts - yj: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/yj/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python-yq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-yq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data-conversion, developer-tools, json, toml. - [remarshal](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/remarshal/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data-conversion, developer-tools, json, toml. - [config-file-validator](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/config-file-validator/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, json, toml, yaml. - [dasel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dasel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, json, toml, yaml. - [ijq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ijq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data-tools, developer-tools, json. - [jq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data-tools, developer-tools, json. - [jql](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jql/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data-tools, developer-tools, json. - [jsongrep](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jsongrep/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, json, toml, yaml. - [dhall-toml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhall-toml/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: between, cli, conversion, convert, data. - [dhall-yaml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhall-yaml/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: between, cli, conversion, convert, data. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/yj.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/yj.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph