Welcome to Set Files

Human-readable configuration files that actually make sense

Set files (.set or .qset) are a simple, flexible format for storing configuration data, settings, and structured information.

Think: CSV meets INI files, but all grown up and actually readable.

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Why Use Set Files?

• Human readable and editable - No quote escaping nightmares
• Simple parsing - Split on delimiter, done
• Multi-line text - Text blocks handle it naturally
• No type coercion issues - Everything is explicit
• Comments supported - Document your configuration
• Flexible structure - Mix key-value pairs, tables, and text blocks

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Quick Example

myconfig.set

Application configuration
Created: 2025-11-27

[DATABASE]
Host|localhost
Port|5432
Database|myapp

[SETTINGS]
Theme|dark
Language|en-US
MaxUsers|50

[{WELCOME_MESSAGE}]
Welcome to My Application!

Get started by configuring your settings above.
[EOG]

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Get Started

• Quick Start Guide - Learn Set files in 5 minutes
• Full Specification - Complete format definition v4.0
• Examples - See Set files in action
• Download - Get the documentation and tools

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Features

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Latest Version

Set File Format Specification v4.0 (November 2025)

Major improvements in v4.0:

• Simplified structure - removed mandatory preamble
• Minimal escaping - only ##\\|## needed
• Better organization - spec separated from implementation guide
• UTF-8 direct input emphasized

See what's new in v4.0?

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Community & Development

• GitHub: github.com/kirksiqveland/setfile
• Implementations: Parser libraries in various languages
• Contributing: How to contribute?
• Contact: kirk@setfiles.org

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Related Projects

Set Files are created and maintained by Kirk Siqveland.

Other projects:

• EMU Protocols - Embedded MarkUp tools
• Aikode - Development projects

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