front-matter vs gray-matter vs remark-frontmatter vs yaml-front-matter
Front Matter Parsing Libraries
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Front Matter Parsing Libraries

Front matter parsing libraries are tools used in web development to extract metadata from files, typically Markdown or text files. This metadata is often placed at the beginning of the file, enclosed by a specific delimiter (like --- for YAML). These libraries parse the front matter, convert it into a usable format (like JSON), and allow developers to access this data programmatically. This is particularly useful for static site generators, content management systems, and any application that needs to handle structured data within text files. front-matter is a simple and lightweight library for parsing front matter from files, while gray-matter is a more feature-rich alternative that supports multiple formats (YAML, JSON, TOML) and provides additional functionality like parsing the content separately. remark-frontmatter is a plugin for the remark ecosystem that specifically handles front matter in Markdown files, making it ideal for projects that use remark for processing Markdown. yaml-front-matter focuses on parsing YAML front matter and provides a straightforward API for extracting the metadata and content, making it a good choice for projects that specifically use YAML.

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front-matter4,783,882690-326 years agoMIT
gray-matter2,816,4244,309-685 years agoMIT
remark-frontmatter1,911,11930921.2 kB02 years agoMIT
yaml-front-matter72,395194-215 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: front-matter vs gray-matter vs remark-frontmatter vs yaml-front-matter

Front Matter Format Support

  • front-matter:

    front-matter supports only YAML front matter, making it simple but limited in terms of format flexibility.

  • gray-matter:

    gray-matter supports multiple formats, including YAML, JSON, and TOML, providing much greater flexibility for different use cases.

  • remark-frontmatter:

    remark-frontmatter is designed to work with any front matter format, but it is primarily used in conjunction with remark for Markdown, allowing for flexibility in format choice.

  • yaml-front-matter:

    yaml-front-matter supports only YAML front matter, similar to front-matter, but is optimized for YAML parsing.

Content Parsing

  • front-matter:

    front-matter extracts front matter and content but does not provide advanced content parsing features.

  • gray-matter:

    gray-matter provides built-in support for extracting and parsing content separately from the front matter, making it more versatile.

  • remark-frontmatter:

    remark-frontmatter focuses on front matter parsing within Markdown files and works alongside remark for content processing, but does not parse content itself.

  • yaml-front-matter:

    yaml-front-matter extracts front matter and content but does not offer advanced content parsing capabilities.

Ease of Use

  • front-matter:

    front-matter is very easy to use with a simple API for parsing front matter from files.

  • gray-matter:

    gray-matter is also user-friendly, with a clear API that supports more complex use cases due to its additional features.

  • remark-frontmatter:

    remark-frontmatter is easy to use for those familiar with the remark ecosystem, but may have a learning curve for new users.

  • yaml-front-matter:

    yaml-front-matter offers a straightforward API for parsing YAML front matter, making it easy to integrate into projects.

Performance

  • front-matter:

    front-matter is lightweight and performs well for parsing front matter, with minimal overhead.

  • gray-matter:

    gray-matter is slightly heavier due to its additional features, but still performs efficiently for most use cases.

  • remark-frontmatter:

    remark-frontmatter performance depends on the remark processing pipeline, but it is generally efficient for handling front matter in Markdown.

  • yaml-front-matter:

    yaml-front-matter is lightweight and performs well for parsing YAML front matter.

Code Example

  • front-matter:

    Example of using front-matter

    const frontMatter = require('front-matter');
const data = frontMatter('---
title: My Post
---
Hello, world!');
console.log(data.attributes); // { title: 'My Post' }
console.log(data.body); // 'Hello, world!'
  • gray-matter:

    Example of using gray-matter

    const grayMatter = require('gray-matter');
const { data, content } = grayMatter('---
title: My Post
---
Hello, world!');
console.log(data); // { title: 'My Post' }
console.log(content); // 'Hello, world!'
  • remark-frontmatter:

    Example of using remark-frontmatter

    const remark = require('remark');
const frontmatter = require('remark-frontmatter');
const file = remark()
  .use(frontmatter)
  .processSync('---
title: My Post
---
Hello, world!');
console.log(file.contents);
  • yaml-front-matter:

    Example of using yaml-front-matter

    const yamlFront = require('yaml-front-matter');
const data = yamlFront.load('---
title: My Post
---
Hello, world!');
console.log(data); // { title: 'My Post' }
How to Choose: front-matter vs gray-matter vs remark-frontmatter vs yaml-front-matter
  • front-matter:

    Choose front-matter if you need a lightweight and straightforward solution for parsing front matter from files. It is easy to use and integrates well into projects without adding much overhead.

  • gray-matter:

    Choose gray-matter if you require more flexibility and features, such as support for multiple front matter formats (YAML, JSON, TOML) and the ability to parse content separately. It is ideal for more complex applications where additional functionality is needed.

  • remark-frontmatter:

    Choose remark-frontmatter if you are already using the remark ecosystem for Markdown processing and need a plugin that specifically handles front matter. It is designed to work seamlessly with remark and is great for projects that leverage this framework.

  • yaml-front-matter:

    Choose yaml-front-matter if you are specifically working with YAML front matter and want a simple and efficient way to parse it. This package is focused on YAML, making it a good choice for projects that use YAML exclusively.

Similar Npm Packages to front-matter

front-matter is a lightweight npm package designed for parsing front matter from files, typically used in static site generators and content management systems. Front matter refers to the metadata that is placed at the top of a file, often in YAML or TOML format, which provides information about the content such as title, date, tags, and more. The front-matter package allows developers to easily extract this metadata from their files, making it a valuable tool for managing content in a structured way.

While front-matter is a popular choice, there are other libraries that offer similar functionality. Here are a few alternatives:

  • gray-matter is a widely used library for parsing front matter from Markdown and other text files. It supports multiple formats, including YAML, TOML, and JSON, making it versatile for various use cases. gray-matter not only extracts the front matter but also returns the content of the file without the metadata, allowing for easy integration into static site generators and other applications. If you need a robust solution that can handle different front matter formats, gray-matter is an excellent choice.
  • yaml-front-matter is another library focused specifically on parsing YAML front matter. It provides a straightforward API for extracting metadata from files that use YAML format for their front matter. If your project primarily uses YAML and you want a dedicated solution for handling it, yaml-front-matter is a lightweight and efficient option.

To see how front-matter compares with gray-matter and yaml-front-matter, check out the comparison: Comparing front-matter vs gray-matter vs yaml-front-matter.

Similar Npm Packages to gray-matter

gray-matter is a popular npm package used for parsing front matter from Markdown files. Front matter is a section at the beginning of a Markdown document that contains metadata about the content, typically formatted in YAML or JSON. gray-matter allows developers to easily extract this metadata and separate it from the actual content, making it a valuable tool for static site generators and content management systems. Its ability to handle various formats and its straightforward API make it a go-to choice for many developers working with Markdown.

While gray-matter is a solid choice for parsing front matter, there are several alternatives that offer similar functionality:

  • front-matter is a lightweight library that focuses specifically on parsing front matter from Markdown files. It provides a simple API for extracting the metadata and content from the document. If you are looking for a minimalistic solution without additional features, front-matter is a great option that offers straightforward parsing capabilities.
  • remark-frontmatter is a plugin for the remark Markdown processor that allows you to work with front matter in Markdown files. It integrates seamlessly with the remark ecosystem, making it a good choice if you are already using remark for processing Markdown. This plugin enables you to parse front matter while leveraging the full power of remark for transforming Markdown content.
  • yaml-front-matter is another alternative that specifically focuses on parsing YAML front matter. It provides a simple API for extracting metadata from YAML-formatted front matter in Markdown files. If your project primarily uses YAML for front matter and you want a dedicated solution, yaml-front-matter is an excellent choice.

To see how these packages compare, check out the comparison: Comparing front-matter vs gray-matter vs remark-frontmatter vs yaml-front-matter.

Similar Npm Packages to remark-frontmatter

remark-frontmatter is a plugin for the Remark library that allows you to parse frontmatter from Markdown files. Frontmatter is a way to include metadata at the top of a Markdown document, typically in YAML format. This metadata can be used for various purposes, such as defining the title, date, tags, and other attributes of the content. By using remark-frontmatter, developers can easily extract and utilize this metadata when processing Markdown files, making it a valuable tool for static site generators and content management systems.

While remark-frontmatter serves a specific purpose, there are several alternatives within the Remark ecosystem that cater to different needs:

  • remark-gfm is a plugin that adds support for GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) to Remark. It extends the standard Markdown syntax to include features like task lists, strikethroughs, and tables, which are commonly used in GitHub repositories. If you need to work with Markdown that includes these additional features, remark-gfm is an excellent choice.
  • remark-html is a plugin that converts Markdown content into HTML. This is particularly useful when you want to render Markdown in a web application or convert it for use in a static site. By using remark-html, developers can easily transform their Markdown documents into HTML format while preserving the structure and semantics of the original content.
  • remark-mdx is a plugin that enables the use of MDX, which allows you to write JSX within Markdown files. This is particularly useful for documentation and blog posts that require interactive components or custom React components. If your project involves using React components alongside Markdown content, remark-mdx provides a seamless way to integrate the two.
  • remark-parse is the core parser for Remark that converts Markdown text into a syntax tree. It is the foundational plugin that allows other Remark plugins to operate on the parsed Markdown content. If you are building a custom Markdown processing pipeline, remark-parse is essential for converting raw Markdown into a format that can be manipulated by other plugins.

To explore how remark-frontmatter compares with these alternatives, check out the comparison: Comparing remark-frontmatter vs remark-gfm vs remark-html vs remark-mdx vs remark-parse.

Similar Npm Packages to yaml-front-matter

yaml-front-matter is a JavaScript library designed to parse YAML front matter from text files. Front matter is a common pattern used in static site generators and content management systems, where metadata is defined at the beginning of a file, typically in YAML format. This library allows developers to easily extract this metadata and the content of the file, making it a useful tool for managing structured data in markdown or other text-based formats.

While yaml-front-matter is a robust option for handling YAML front matter, there are several alternatives worth considering:

  • front-matter is a simple library that extracts front matter from markdown files. It supports both YAML and JSON formats, making it versatile for different use cases. If you're looking for a straightforward solution to parse front matter without the need for YAML-specific features, front-matter is a solid choice.
  • gray-matter is another popular library for parsing front matter, supporting multiple formats including YAML, JSON, and TOML. It is widely used in static site generators like Gatsby and Next.js. gray-matter provides additional features such as the ability to customize delimiters and parse front matter from various file types, making it a flexible option for developers who need more control over their front matter parsing.
  • js-yaml is a YAML parser and dumper for JavaScript. While it is not specifically designed for front matter, it can be used in conjunction with other libraries to handle YAML data. If your project requires extensive YAML parsing capabilities beyond just front matter, js-yaml is a powerful tool that can meet those needs.
  • yamljs is another library for parsing and dumping YAML in JavaScript. Similar to js-yaml, it is not specifically focused on front matter but can be used to work with YAML data in various contexts. If you need a lightweight library for general YAML handling, yamljs is a good option.

To compare these packages and find the best fit for your project, check out the comparison link: Comparing front-matter vs gray-matter vs js-yaml vs yaml-front-matter vs yamljs.

README for front-matter

front-matter

build coverage npm github

Sauce Test Status

Extract meta data (front-matter) from documents.

This modules does not do any IO (file loading or reading), only extracting and parsing front matter from strings.

This concept that was originally introduced to me through the jekyll blogging system and is pretty useful where you want to be able to easily add meta-data to content without the need for a database. YAML is extracted from the the top of a file between matching separators of "---" or "= yaml =". It will also extract YAML between a separator and "...".

Install

With npm do:

npm install front-matter

Example

So you have a file example.md:

---
title: Just hack'n
description: Nothing to see here
---

This is some text about some stuff that happened sometime ago

NOTE: As of front-matter@2.0.0 valid front matter is considered to have the starting separator on the first line.

Then you can do this:

var fs = require('fs')
  , fm = require('front-matter')

fs.readFile('./example.md', 'utf8', function(err, data){
  if (err) throw err

  var content = fm(data)

  console.log(content)
})

And end up with an object like this:

{
    attributes: {
        title: 'Just hack\'n',
        description: 'Nothing to see here'
    },
    body: 'This is some text about some stuff that happened sometime ago',
    bodyBegin: 6,
    frontmatter: 'title: Just hack\'n\ndescription: Nothing to see here'
}

Methods

var fm = require('front-matter')

fm(string, { allowUnsafe: false })

Return a content object with two properties:

  • content.attributes contains the extracted yaml attributes in json form
  • content.body contains the string contents below the yaml separators
  • content.bodyBegin contains the line number the body contents begins at
  • content.frontmatter contains the original yaml string contents

NOTE: By default fm() uses ys-yaml's safeLoad unless you set allowUnsafe in the options object to true.

fm.test(string)

Check if a string contains a front matter header of "---" or "= yaml =". Primarily used internally but is useful outside of the module.

Returns true or false

    fm.test(string) #=> true || false

Contributing

front-matter is an OPEN Source Project so please help out by reporting bugs or forking and opening pull requests when possible.

standard

All code is linted/formatted using standard style, any non-conforming code can be automatically formatted using the the fmt make task: make fmt.

Maintainers

Contributors

This module is awesome because of all the folks who submitted pull requests:

CHANGELOG

3.0.0

  • CI only tests Node versions >= v6 (drops v4, and v5)

LICENSE (MIT)

Copyright (c) Jason Campbell ("Author")

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

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