---
title: "Read YAML without a class"
url: https://recursiveai.org/oneyaml/csharp/cookbook/read-yaml-without-a-class/
description: "Read values from YAML by JSON Pointer in C#, walk mappings and sequences with OneYaml’s YamlNode like a JsonNode, and get each value’s line and column."
version: "1.2.1"
---

# Read YAML without a class

When you don’t have a type for the data, parse it into a `YamlDocument` and read values by JSON Pointer, or walk its nodes the way you walk a `JsonNode`.

```csharp
using OneYaml;

using var doc = YamlDocument.Parse("""
    server:
      host: 0.0.0.0
      port: 8080   # behind the load balancer
    features: [auth, metrics]
    limits:
      cpu: 0.5
      memory: 512Mi
    """);

// Read one value into a .NET type, by JSON Pointer.
Console.WriteLine($"port: {doc.Get<int>("/server/port")}");

// Or walk the nodes, like JsonNode: values, kinds and positions.
YamlNode port = doc.Root["server"]["port"];
Console.WriteLine($"port {port.GetValue<int>()} at {port.Position.Line}:{port.Position.Column}");

foreach (YamlNode feature in doc.Root["features"].Items)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"feature: {feature.GetValue<string>()}");
}
foreach (var (key, value) in doc.Root["limits"].Entries)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"limit {key.GetValue<string>()} = {value.GetValue<string>()} ({value.Kind})");
}

// A missing path: check first, or use TryGet.
Console.WriteLine(doc.Contains("/server/tls"));
Console.WriteLine(doc.TryGet("/server/tls", out bool tls) ? $"tls: {tls}" : "tls not set");
```

```text
port: 8080
port 8080 at 3:9
feature: auth
feature: metrics
limit cpu = 0.5 (Scalar)
limit memory = 512Mi (Scalar)
False
tls not set
```

## Good to know

- `doc.Get<T>(pointer)` reads the node at a JSON Pointer into any type, with the serializer’s rules. `TryGet` and `Contains` check without throwing.
- `node["key"]` and `node[0]` index mappings and sequences. `Items` and `Entries` enumerate them in file order.
- `Position` is where the node’s content starts: a 1-based line and column, and the offset.
- `Kind`, `Style`, `Tag` and `Anchor` describe the node as written. `GetValue<T>` reads a scalar; `Deserialize<T>` reads a whole subtree.
- Every pointer method takes a `document` index for multi-document files, 0 by default ([multi-document files](https://recursiveai.org/oneyaml/csharp/cookbook/kubernetes-multi-document/)).