Minimistandardin

Minimistandardin is a lightweight data interchange and configuration standard designed to maximize simplicity and interoperability across small devices and microservices. It emphasizes a minimal parsing footprint, deterministic behavior, and straightforward human readability.

The specification defines a compact data model consisting of strings, numbers, booleans, null, arrays, and objects with string keys, together with a small, whitespace-tolerant syntax. It provides a formal schema language, Minischema, to validate structure and types, and it supports optional metadata directives for packaging and versioning.

Development is coordinated by the International Minimal Standardization Council (IMSC), which maintains versioned releases, reference implementations, and conformance tests. Implementations exist in several languages, and the standard emphasizes backward compatibility, clear deprecation paths, and minimal dependencies.

Uses include configuration files for embedded systems, IoT devices, and small-scale services, as well as lightweight data exchange in restricted networks. Several open-source projects have adopted minimistandardin as a default configuration format or as a data interchange layer in constrained environments.

Critics note that adding another standard risks fragmentation and may duplicate capabilities already provided by JSON, YAML, or TOML. Supporters argue that minimistandardin offers tighter constraints and a unified validation model for constrained ecosystems, while remaining compatible with mainstream tooling.