Indentation with `--indent/-I` does not work as expected

[tchupp]

Describe the bug

There is an inconsistency between the actual behavior of --indent/-I and the behavior described in this doc: https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/output-format#indent

I will provide several example commands, but the expected behavior is also in the docs I linked.

The version of yq: tried with v4.6.1 and v4.9.1 Operating system: mac Installed via: homebrew

Input Yaml Concise yaml document(s) (as simple as possible to show the bug, please keep it to 10 lines or less) sample.yml:

apples:
  collection:
  - name: Green
  - name: Blue
  favourite: Pink Lady

-I0

Command

yq e -I0 '.' sample.yaml

Actual behavior

apples:
    collection:
        - name: Green
        - name: Blue
    favourite: Pink Lady

Expected behavior Expected to default to 2.

apples:
  collection:
  - name: Green
  - name: Blue
  favourite: Pink Lady

-I1

Command

yq e -I1 '.' sample.yaml

Actual behavior

apples:
  collection:
    - name: Green
    - name: Blue
  favourite: Pink Lady

Expected behavior Expected to output with 1 indent, lists at the same level as the key.

apples:
 collection:
 - name: Green
 - name: Blue
 favourite: Pink Lady

-I2

Command

yq e -I2 '.' sample.yaml

Actual behavior

apples:
  collection:
    - name: Green
    - name: Blue
  favourite: Pink Lady

Expected behavior Expected to output with 2 indents, lists at the same level as the key.

apples:
  collection:
  - name: Green
  - name: Blue
  favourite: Pink Lady

-I3

Command

yq e -I3 '.' sample.yaml

Actual behavior

apples:
   collection:
      - name: Green
      - name: Blue
   favourite: Pink Lady

Expected behavior Expected to output with 3 indents, lists at the same level as the key.

apples:
   collection:
   - name: Green
   - name: Blue
   favourite: Pink Lady

-I4

Command

yq e -I3 '.' sample.yaml

Actual behavior

apples:
    collection:
        - name: Green
        - name: Blue
    favourite: Pink Lady

Expected behavior Expected to output with 4 indents, list indented 4 from the key.

apples:
    collection:
        - name: Green
        - name: Blue
    favourite: Pink Lady

Please let me know if more detail is required! Thank you.

[mikefarah]

Thanks @tchupp - the indentation is controlled by the underlying go-yaml parser (and has gone through a number of iterations). There are a couple of issues already raised in that project that I think relate to your bug:

• https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/issues/720
• https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/issues/501

[tchupp]

I had a feeling it might have been caused by go-yaml’s behavior. Is there a version of yq where this behavior is preserved?

[rheaton]

Hi! I'm seeing this list indenting even with -I2 which is contrary to the docs here: https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/output-format#indent

[matheusmaais]

Hey guys, I'm trying to use Yq to replace some values on kubernetes manifest, and I noticed that yq it's not preserving spaces as described on issue description. Do we have any updates about this issue? I use macOS as well and it happens even if I'm not replacing the list itself.. any modified field changes the identation