[Yaml-core] YAML and blanks

[Dan S. <dan...@hp...>]

We have a build process that uses YAML - pyyaml specifically, not 
pyyaml-legacy.

When our automated processes put things in the YAML files, the YAML 
parsing works.  But every once in a while a human adds something to a 
YAML file, and sometimes these humans don't add blanks after the colons, 
and then the process blows up.

I've been asked to come up with a YAML parser that will be more lenient 
about not having a blank after a colon.  EG, right now, this doesn't 
work for us:

invoice: 34843
date   : 2001-01-23
bill-to: &id001
     given  :Chris
     family : Dumars

...because "given  :Chris" has no space after the colon.

So I have some questions:
1) Is there already a YAML parser that relaxes this?
2) How can I tell what version of pyyaml we are using?  I see the module 
names match those of pyyaml, but when grep'ing those modules for 
"version", I don't see anything that looks like a version string
3) I see that pyyaml's trunk has a "tests" directory - how would I 
invoke these?  Can anyone comment on how comprehensive these tests are?
4) Does pyyaml currently insist on a blank after a colon for a good 
reason?  Would eliminating the requirement introduce an ambiguity?

TIA!