CCL Syntax Reference

Core Syntax

Key-Value Pairs:

key = value
name = Alice
port = 8080

Empty Values (Sections):

database =
  host = localhost
  port = 5432

Empty Keys (Lists):

items =
  = first item
  = second item

Comments:

/= This is a comment

Multiline Values:

description = This is a long description
  that spans multiple lines
  and preserves indentation

Quick Reference

Syntax	Purpose	Example
key = value	Assignment	name = Alice
key =	Section	server =
= value	List item	= item
/= text	Comment	/= Note
Indentation	Nesting	nested = value

Edge Cases

Equals in values:

formula = E = mc²
url = https://example.com?key=value

Dots in keys (literal characters):

database.host = localhost
file.txt = content

⚠️ Dotted keys are literal strings, not nested structures. See Dotted Keys Explained.

Unicode support:

greeting = Hello, 世界! 🌍
author = François Müller

Whitespace handling:

• Keys are trimmed: key = value → "key"
• Values preserve trailing spaces
• CRLF vs LF: CCL treats only LF as a newline, so CRs present are preserved as-is