The Simple Declarative Language provides an easy way to describe lists, maps, and trees of typed data in a compact, easy to read representation. The simple and intuitive API allows you to read, write, and access all the datastructures using a single class. For property files, configuration files, logs, and simple serialization requirements, SDL provides a compelling alternative to XML and Properties files. Implementations are available for Java and .NET; a port to C++ is in the works, with more languages on the way.