The Pricing2Yaml Syntax

Pricing2Yaml (previously known as Yaml4SaaS) emerges as a pragmatic application of the Pricing4SaaS model, aligning with the overarching objective of formalizing and structuring pricing information for SaaS platforms. Building upon the foundational principles articulated in Pricing4SaaS, Pricing2Yaml embodies a simplified and versatile YAML-based syntax designed for serializing comprehensive details about SaaS offerings. The essence of Pricing2Yaml lies in its capacity to encapsulate pricing plans, add-ons, features and usage limits within a concise and human-readable YAML format. Here is a tempalte specification of the Pricing2Yaml syntax:

saasName: GitHub
day: 15
month: 11
year: 2023
currency: USD
hasAnnualPayment: true
features:
  githubPackages:
    description: ...
    valueType: BOOLEAN
    defaultValue: true
    type: DOMAIN
    expression: #SPEL Expression
    serverExpression: #OPTIONAL: SPEL Expression to be evaluated on the server side
  standardSupport:
    description: ...
    valueType: BOOLEAN
    defaultValue: false
    type: SUPPORT
    expression: #SPEL Expression
    serverExpression: #OPTIONAL: SPEL Expression to be evaluated on the server side
  #...
usageLimits:
  githubPackagesLimit:
    description: ...
    valueType: NUMERIC
    unit: GB
    defaultValue: 0.5
    linkedFeatures:
      - githubPackages
  #...
plans:
  FREE:
    description: ...
    monthlyPrice: 0
    annualPrice: 0
    unit: "user/month"
  TEAM:
    description: ...
    monthlyPrice: 4
    annualPrice: 3.67
    unit: "user/month"
    features:
      standardSupport:
        value: true
    usageLimits:
      githubPackagesLimit:
        value: 2
  #...
addOns:
  extraGithubPackages:
    availableFor:
      - FREE
      - TEAM
    price: 0.5
    unit: GB/month
    features: null
    usageLimits: null
    usageLimitsExtensions:
      githubPackagesLimit:
        value: 1
  #...

Starting with the top-level placeholder, we can describe basic information about the pricing, features, usage limits, plans and add-ons.

Features enumerate all the functionalities encompassed in the pricing, classifying them into the types defined in Pricing4SaaS:

• INFORMATION
• INTEGRATION
• DOMAIN
• AUTOMATION
• MANAGEMENT
• GUARANTEE
• SUPPORT
• PAYMENT

detailing each feature's description, valueType (BOOLEAN, NUMERIC TEXT), and defaultValue, whose data type has to be aligned with the valueType defined:

• If the type is BOOLEAN, the defaultValue must be a Boolean.
• If the type is NUMERIC, the defaultValue must be Integer or Double
• If the type is TEXT, the defaultValue must be a String.

In addition, depending on each type of feature, the syntax extends expressiveness for each feature type with additional fields:

• For integration features, an IntegrationType can be specified through the integrationType field. If its value is WEB_SAAS, a list of SaaS pricing URLs can be included.
• Automation features do also allow to assign theirselves an AutomationType.
• For guarantee features can reference the corresponding documentation section describing them via the docURL field.
• Payment features differ from others, requiring values as a list of PaymentTypes for standardization.

Similar to features, UsageLimits expounds on limitations affecting plans, add-ons, or features in the pricing, tagging each with the corresponding Pricing4SaaS type:

• NON_RENEWABLE
• RENEWABLE
• RESPONSE_DRIVEN
• TIME_DRIVEN

For each limit, similar to features, a description, valueType (BOOLEAN, TEXT, NUMERIC), and defaultValue are provided, accompanied by additional fields such as unit or linkedFeatures. The latter must be a list of previously described features affected by the limitation.

The plans section provides comprehensive details about the distinct pricing plans offered within the SaaS. Each plan is identified by a unique name, allowing for easy reference and differentiation. For each one, essential information is specified, including a brief description, the monthlyPrice, the annualPrice (if different from monthly) and the unit affected by them, typically expressed as "user/month".

In the features and usageLimits subsections of each plan, only those requiring a modification in their defaultValue should be explicitly listed. For those not mentioned, the defaultValue is understood to be equivalent to the value.

Within the addOns section, the focus is on delineating the specific details of additional offerings beyond the core plans. Each add-on is characterized by its unique features and usage limits, which have to be listed in the structure established in the features and usageLimits sections, but not included on plans. Similar to the approach taken in the previous section of the file, only those features or usageLimits necessitating an alteration in the defaultValue are explicitly outlined. As an extra field, add-ons also allow to extent a usageLimit. This is extremely powerful for modeling overage cost to some limits.

In conclusion, Pricing2Yaml stands as a practical implementation of the Pricing4SaaS model, providing a YAML-based syntax to formalize SaaS pricing structures in a human-readable format that enhances clarity and simplicity.