Tahvlist

Tahvlist is a term used to describe a hypothetical data-serialization format and data structure intended for representing nested lists with explicit typing and optional metadata. It is used in theoretical discussions and instructional contexts to illustrate how complex data can be organized and exchanged. There is no widely standardized specification.

In a tahvlist, data is organized as a hierarchical list. An element may be a primitive value (such as a number, boolean, or string) or another tahvlist. Elements may carry metadata through key-value annotations, providing type hints or descriptive attributes. The approach aims for human readability and deterministic parsing.

Syntax and example. The basic syntax uses square brackets to denote lists, semicolons to separate items, and equals signs to attach simple attributes. Strings are quoted. Example: [name="Alice"; age=30; active=true; preferences=[theme="dark";_notifications=false]].

Implementation notes. As a hypothetical concept, tahvlist has a few experimental parsers and serializers described in academic exercises and toy projects. No official tooling is widely adopted.

Comparison and usage. Compared with JSON or YAML, tahvlist emphasizes typed values, optional metadata, and strict ordering. It can be more verbose but can reduce ambiguity in configuration and data interchange. Limitations include lack of consensus on syntax and limited real-world tooling.

See also. List data structure, Data serialization, JSON, YAML.