Compared with Other Configuration Formats

What Confµgami offers next to the plain text formats and next to the configuration systems that solve the same problems, row by row.

The tables are about what each format or system offers together with its usual tooling, not about what a project could build on top of it. A cell names the restriction where there is one.

Text File Formats

	Confµgami JSON5	JSON + Schema	YAML + Schema	TOML	XML + XSD
Writing a value
Comments in the data file	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Ranges, patterns and lengths checked	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Constraints relating several values	yes	conditional presence	conditional presence	no	XSD 1.1 assertions
Physical unit on a value	yes	no	no	no	no
Default declared in the model	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Overridable default structure	yes	no	no	no	no
Documentation reaching the editor	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Documentation written on the data	yes	no	no	no	no
Expressions and computed values	in constraints	no	no	no	no
Working across files
Validated references between elements	yes	no	no	no	yes
Several files contributing to one object	yes	no	no	no	no
A file contributing to one nested element	yes	no	no	no	no
Priority ladder deciding an override	yes	no	no	no	no
One block of settings applied to many elements	yes	no	within one document	no	no
Reuse inside the configuration with type and name	yes	no	anchors, untyped	no	no
Isolated projects in one workspace	yes	no	no	no	no
Understanding the result
Record of where a merged value came from	yes	no	no	no	no
Custom annotations carried with the data	yes	unvalidated	no	no	appinfo
Custom annotations validated by the model	yes	no	no	no	no
Living with the model
Naming conventions enforced on the model	yes	no	no	no	identifier pattern
Model version recorded in the data file	yes	dialect only	dialect only	no	by namespace
Deprecation with replacement and migration text	yes	a flag	a flag	no	no
Completion, hover, go to definition and rename	yes	completion and hover	yes	no	completion and hover
Completion writing the whole required structure	yes	required members	yes	no	required members
Canonical formatter for the data files	yes	external tools	external tools	yes	external tools
Typed bindings generated from the model	Rust, Python	yes	yes	no	yes
Machine-readable diagnostics for CI	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Model exposed to AI agents over a protocol	yes	no	no	no	no

Confµgami JSON5

JSON + Schema

YAML + Schema

TOML

XML + XSD

Writing a value

Comments in the data file

yes

Ranges, patterns and lengths checked

yes

Constraints relating several values

yes

conditional presence

XSD 1.1 assertions

Physical unit on a value

yes

Default declared in the model

yes

Overridable default structure

yes

Documentation reaching the editor

yes

Documentation written on the data

yes

Expressions and computed values

in constraints

Working across files

Validated references between elements

yes

Several files contributing to one object

yes

A file contributing to one nested element

yes

Priority ladder deciding an override

yes

One block of settings applied to many elements

yes

within one document

Reuse inside the configuration with type and name

yes

anchors, untyped

Isolated projects in one workspace

yes

Understanding the result

Record of where a merged value came from

yes

Custom annotations carried with the data

yes

unvalidated

appinfo

Custom annotations validated by the model

yes

Living with the model

Naming conventions enforced on the model

yes

identifier pattern

Model version recorded in the data file

yes

dialect only

by namespace

Deprecation with replacement and migration text

yes

a flag

Completion, hover, go to definition and rename

yes

completion and hover

yes

completion and hover

Completion writing the whole required structure

yes

required members

yes

required members

Canonical formatter for the data files

yes

external tools

yes

external tools

Typed bindings generated from the model

Rust, Python

yes

Machine-readable diagnostics for CI

yes

Model exposed to AI agents over a protocol

yes

Configuration Systems

The same rows against the systems that do solve those problems, each in its own domain:

	Confµgami	Kconfig	Devicetree	ARXML	CUE	Pkl
Writing a value
Comments in the data file	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Hand-editable without a vendor tool	yes	yes	yes	the vendor tool	yes	yes
Ranges, patterns and lengths checked	yes	int ranges	with bindings	yes	yes	yes
Constraints relating several values	yes	depends on, select, symbol ranges	conditional presence with bindings	tool specific	yes	yes
Physical unit on a value	yes	no	in the name	yes	no	size and time
Default declared in the model	yes	yes	documented only	yes	yes	yes
Overridable default structure	yes	defconfig	board dts	vendor configuration	no	no
Documentation reaching the editor	yes	in menuconfig	with bindings	tool specific	partly	yes
Documentation written on the data	yes	no	no	tool specific	no	no
Expressions and computed values	in constraints	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Working across files
Validated references between elements	yes	between symbols	phandles	yes	within the model	within the model
Several files contributing to one object	yes	with a merge script	overlays	yes	yes	by amending
A file contributing to one nested element	yes	flat symbols	overlay fragments	path repeated	path shorthand	no
Priority ladder deciding an override	yes	last fragment wins	later overlay wins	tool specific	conflicts error	the amender wins
One block of settings applied to many elements	yes	no	no	no	yes	yes
Reuse inside the configuration with type and name	yes	no	no	no	yes	yes
Isolated projects in one workspace	yes	one .config at a time	per board file	tool specific	by package	by package
Understanding the result
Record of where a merged value came from	yes	no	no	no	no	no
Custom annotations carried with the data	yes	no	no	annotations and special data groups	attributes	yes
Custom annotations validated by the model	yes	no	no	no	no	yes
Living with the model
Naming conventions enforced on the model	yes	no	node and property names	identifier pattern	no	no
Model version recorded in the data file	yes	no	no	yes	no	by package
Deprecation with replacement and migration text	yes	no	a flag	a flag	no	yes
Completion, hover, go to definition and rename	yes	menuconfig search	with an extension	tool specific	partly	yes
Completion writing the whole required structure	yes	no	no	required containers	no	no
Canonical formatter for the data files	yes	no	no	tool specific	yes	in the IDE
Typed bindings generated from the model	Rust, Python	C macros	C macros	yes	Go	four languages
Machine-readable diagnostics for CI	yes	no	no	tool specific	no	no
Model exposed to AI agents over a protocol	yes	no	no	tool specific	no	no

Confµgami

Kconfig

Devicetree

ARXML

CUE

Pkl

Writing a value

Comments in the data file

yes

Hand-editable without a vendor tool

yes

the vendor tool

yes

Ranges, patterns and lengths checked

yes

int ranges

with bindings

yes

Constraints relating several values

yes

depends on, select, symbol ranges

conditional presence with bindings

tool specific

yes

Physical unit on a value

yes

in the name

yes

size and time

Default declared in the model

yes

documented only

yes

Overridable default structure

yes

defconfig

board dts

vendor configuration

Documentation reaching the editor

yes

in menuconfig

with bindings

tool specific

partly

yes

Documentation written on the data

yes

tool specific

Expressions and computed values

in constraints

yes

Working across files

Validated references between elements

yes

between symbols

phandles

yes

within the model

Several files contributing to one object

yes

with a merge script

overlays

yes

by amending

A file contributing to one nested element

yes

flat symbols

overlay fragments

path repeated

path shorthand

Priority ladder deciding an override

yes

last fragment wins

later overlay wins

tool specific

conflicts error

the amender wins

One block of settings applied to many elements

yes

Reuse inside the configuration with type and name

yes

Isolated projects in one workspace

yes

one .config at a time

per board file

tool specific

by package

Understanding the result

Record of where a merged value came from

yes

Custom annotations carried with the data

yes

annotations and special data groups

attributes

yes

Custom annotations validated by the model

yes

Living with the model

Naming conventions enforced on the model

yes

node and property names

identifier pattern

Model version recorded in the data file

yes

by package

Deprecation with replacement and migration text

yes

a flag

yes

Completion, hover, go to definition and rename

yes

menuconfig search

with an extension

tool specific

partly

yes

Completion writing the whole required structure

yes

required containers

Canonical formatter for the data files

yes

tool specific

yes

in the IDE

Typed bindings generated from the model

Rust, Python

C macros

yes

four languages

Machine-readable diagnostics for CI

yes

tool specific

Model exposed to AI agents over a protocol

yes

tool specific