editconfig

Editconfig is a lightweight configuration editing tool designed to automate modifications to configuration files. It operates by applying a separate specification called an edit script, which describes transformations such as setting values, inserting keys, removing entries, or renaming fields. The goal is to provide idempotent, auditable edits that can be rerun safely.

Core concepts include declarative edit scripts, which are typically written in YAML or JSON and describe a sequence of operations with selectors to identify targets by key path, pattern, or type. Editconfig supports a variety of configuration formats and strives to perform format-aware edits to preserve structure and readability where possible.

Supported formats and scope cover common configuration types such as JSON, YAML, INI, TOML, and XML, with parsing rules designed to minimize disruption to comments and formatting. The tool emphasizes safe edits and provides mechanisms to maintain or restore original structures after changes.

Features include safe edits with a dry-run mode, transactional updates with optional backups, and hooks for validation or rollback. It is designed to integrate with continuous integration and deployment workflows and may offer a plugin system for extending format support or custom operators.

Usage typically involves creating an edit script that specifies the desired changes, running editconfig with input and output paths, and optionally generating a patch or log of changes. Example workflows may resemble: editing a file.yaml with a separate script and directing output to a target file, using a dry-run option to simulate changes before applying them.

Limitations should be considered, such as parser availability limiting format support, the need for well-formed scripts for complex edits, and potential conflicts when multiple scripts target the same key.