HOCON = Human-Optimized Config Object Notation "it's": "a JSON superset", features: [ less noisy / less pedantic syntax ability to refer to another part of the configuration import/include another configuration file into the current file a mapping to a flat properties list such as Java's system properties ability to get values from environment variables # ability to write comments ] specs url: "https://github.com/lightbend/config/blob/master/HOCON.md" it's: ${it's}. A ${HOCON} Try it out: conf is parsed online as you type