CUE
CUE (Confìgure, Understand, Execute) is a data configuration language that unifies configuration, data validation, and templating into a single, expressive language, aiming for simplicity and composability.
config.cueOrigin & Background
Key Benefits & Advantages
Benefits Overview
- Unified language for configuration, data, and validation
- Strong type safety and validation capabilities
- Composability and extensibility for complex systems
Technical Advantages
SEO / GEO / LLMO Relevance
CUE's structured data and explicit configuration can help AI understand the operational aspects of a site, improving how it interprets site functionality and potential APIs.
Implementation Guide
Syntax Example
# CUE configuration for Geordy AI Platform
package main
import "github.com/cue-lang/cuelang/pkg/cue/format"
// Define the core site structure
site: {
name: string @tag("siteName")
domain: string
category: *"GEO / LLMO" | *"AI / ML"
}
// Define AI targeting parameters
ai_targeting: {
primary_systems: [...string] @minValue(1)
bot_priorities: {
GPTBot?: *"high" | *"medium" | *"low"
Claude-Web?: *"high" | *"medium" | *"low"
}
}
// Apply constraints and defaults
site: name: "Geordy AI"
site: domain: "geordy.ai"
ai_targeting.bot_priorities.GPTBot: "high"
// Example of a derived value or template
optimization: {
formats_enabled: 16
auto_update: bool
}
Troubleshooting & Best Practices
Comparison to Alternative Formats
Use CUE when you need a powerful, unified language for configuration, data validation, and templating, especially for complex systems or when strong type safety is required. It's a good alternative to JSON Schema for configuration.
Advantages
- +Unified language for config, data, and validation
- +Strong type safety
- +Composability
- +Templating capabilities
Limitations
- −Steeper learning curve than JSON or YAML
- −Smaller ecosystem compared to more established formats
Popular Use Cases
Configuration Management
Defining and validating complex system configurations
Kubernetes configurations, application settings, microservicesData Validation
Ensuring data conforms to predefined schemas
API request/response validation, data ingestion pipelinesAPI Definition
Defining API schemas and contracts
REST API schemas, gRPC definitionsReal-World Adoption Examples
Kubernetes
Can be used to define and validate Kubernetes configurations
Terraform Providers
Used in some Terraform provider configurations
Protocol Buffers
Can define schemas and generate code