[liuliu]

Starlark is OK (it is very similar to Python except removed non-deterministic part). But the part where no type-hinting kicks in is when you try to read the actual underlying macros / functions the others provided. It is much harder to do without types (which Nickel seems would like to address).

Honestly, I would prefer anything that mimics popular languages to lower the bar of reading.

[FridgeSeal]

Have you tried Dhall? Static types and enough power to provide the tools you need, but deliberately not enough to allow full on arbitrary computation.

I've played with it briefly, along with the Kubernetes plugin, and it was a nice experience.