reporttxt

reporttxt is a lightweight plain-text reporting format designed for the creation and exchange of human-readable and machine-parseable reports. It emphasizes simplicity and portability, using ASCII text to represent structured information without the complexity of XML or JSON. The format is used in software tools and automation pipelines where quick generation and easy inspection of reports are important. Although not an official standard, reporttxt has been adopted by various open-source projects and internal tooling as a pragmatic compromise between readability and parseability.

Structure and syntax: A reporttxt file consists mainly of lines in key-value form and optional sections. Each line uses the syntax KEY: VALUE, and comment lines may start with a hash (#). Sections begin with Section: Name and contain descriptive text or subsequent key-values. Within a section, bullet items can be introduced with a dash (-). Data types are simple strings, numbers, and booleans. Line wrapping is allowed for long values, but 80 characters is a common convention for readability. There is no formal schema; parsers infer structure from Section headers and key-value lines.

Usage and parsing: Reporttxt files are commonly generated by scripts and CI pipelines to summarize runs, tests, or system status. Parsers map the contents to dictionaries or objects in various programming languages, enabling automation and reporting dashboards. The human-readable format also aids quick validation during manual reviews.

Variants and examples: Extensions include .reporttxt or .rpttxt. Some projects adopt conventions such as mandatory Section headers and consistent keys like Title, Date, and Summary to improve interoperability. A minimal example might look like: Title: System Health Report; Date: 2025-12-09; Section: Overview; System running nominal; Section: Metrics; CPU: 42; Memory: 68.