diff --git a/acceptance_tests/inputs-format-auto.sh b/acceptance_tests/inputs-format-auto.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..4732eb8124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance_tests/inputs-format-auto.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+setUp() {
+  rm test*.yml 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm test*.json 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm test*.properties 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm test*.csv 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm test*.tsv 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm test*.xml 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+testInputJson() {
+  cat >test.json <<EOL
+{ "mike" : { "things": "cool" } }
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+mike:
+  things: cool
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq test.json)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.json)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputProperties() {
+  cat >test.properties <<EOL
+mike.things = hello
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+mike:
+  things: hello
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq e test.properties)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.properties)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputPropertiesGitHubAction() {
+  cat >test.properties <<EOL
+mike.things = hello
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+mike:
+  things: hello
+EOM
+
+  X=$(cat /dev/null | ./yq e test.properties)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(cat /dev/null | ./yq ea test.properties)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputCSV() {
+  cat >test.csv <<EOL
+fruit,yumLevel
+apple,5
+banana,4
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+- fruit: apple
+  yumLevel: 5
+- fruit: banana
+  yumLevel: 4
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq e test.csv)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.csv)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputCSVUTF8() {
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+- id: 1
+  first: john
+  last: smith
+- id: 1
+  first: jane
+  last: smith
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq utf8.csv)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputTSV() {
+  cat >test.tsv <<EOL
+fruit	yumLevel
+apple	5
+banana	4
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+- fruit: apple
+  yumLevel: 5
+- fruit: banana
+  yumLevel: 4
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq e test.tsv)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.tsv)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+
+
+
+testInputXml() {
+  cat >test.xml <<EOL
+<cat legs="4">BiBi</cat>
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+cat:
+  +content: BiBi
+  +@legs: "4"
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq e test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputXmlNamespaces() {
+  cat >test.xml <<EOL
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+</map>
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
++p_xml: version="1.0"
+map:
+  +@xmlns: some-namespace
+  +@xmlns:xsi: some-instance
+  +@xsi:schemaLocation: some-url
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq e test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputXmlRoundtrip() {
+  cat >test.xml <<EOL
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!DOCTYPE config SYSTEM "/etc/iwatch/iwatch.dtd" >
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">Meow</map>
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!DOCTYPE config SYSTEM "/etc/iwatch/iwatch.dtd" >
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">Meow</map>
+EOM
+
+  X=$(./yq -o=xml test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea -o=xml test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+
+testInputXmlStrict() {
+  cat >test.xml <<EOL
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!DOCTYPE root [
+<!ENTITY writer "Catherine.">
+<!ENTITY copyright "(r) Great">
+]>
+<root>
+    <item>&writer;&copyright;</item>
+</root>
+EOL
+
+  X=$(./yq --xml-strict-mode test.xml -o=xml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: bad file 'test.xml': XML syntax error on line 7: invalid character entity &writer;" "$X"
+
+  X=$(./yq ea --xml-strict-mode test.xml -o=xml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals "Error: bad file 'test.xml': XML syntax error on line 7: invalid character entity &writer;" "$X"
+}
+
+testInputXmlGithubAction() {
+  cat >test.xml <<EOL
+<cat legs="4">BiBi</cat>
+EOL
+
+  read -r -d '' expected << EOM
+cat:
+  +content: BiBi
+  +@legs: "4"
+EOM
+
+  X=$(cat /dev/null | ./yq e test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+
+  X=$(cat /dev/null | ./yq ea test.xml)
+  assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
+}
+
+source ./scripts/shunit2