plainScalars

Prefer plain style scalars over quoted scalars.

✅ This rule is included in the yaml stylisticStrict presets.

Plain scalars are more readable and concise than quoted scalars. Quoted scalars should only be used when the value cannot be represented as a plain scalar.

Examples

❌ Incorrect

name: "simple"

key: "value"

✅ Correct

name: simple

key: value

# Quotes are needed for special values
enabled: "true"

# Quotes are needed for values with special characters
message: "contains: colon"

Options

This rule is not configurable.

When Not To Use It

If your project prefers quoted strings for consistency or compatibility with other tools, you may not need this rule. Some YAML consumers may handle quoted and unquoted strings differently.

Further Reading

• YAML Specification - Scalar Styles

Equivalents in Other Linters

• ESLint: yml/plain-scalar