Does generate_hcl produce the files in all leaf directories?

[az-z]

Hello,

Does generate_hcl produce the files in all leaf directories?
Is there a project-level configuration to control this?

Example:
proj
| .................
| - general
| | - general.tfvars
| | - policy
| | | S3.json
| - proj.tfvars

I expect no files to be produced in the "policy" directory.

[i4ki]

Hi @az-z

The generate_hcl generates HCL files but in your example, it shows an S3.json file. Is this the one that got generated? Wasn't it a generate_file block?

The generate_hcl supports only stack code generation (we call this the generate context), then it generates files only inside stack directories but you can control which stacks should have it generated. It's never generated inside non-stack directories, if it does, then it's a bug.

The generate_file block, by default, also only generates inside stacks but the generation context can be set to root and then in this case you can say explicitly where the file must be generated (not only stacks, any directory).

When you execute terramate generate, when in stack context, it generates code for each stack. For each stack, it loads the generate_ definitions of its directory and parent directories until the root of the repo/project is reached and then generates the files relative to the stack dir. In other words, each generate_ declaration generates inside all child stacks.

So in your example, if proj/general/policy is a stack and you have generate_hcl declarations inside proj/general/ or proj/ then it will generate inside policy.
This mechanism exists so you can group similar stacks inside a common directory and then have a single generate_hcl for generating code inside all of them.

Below are two ways you can solve your problem:

1. Place the generate_hcl or generate_file declaration inside the stack directory which must have the file generated, then the file is only generated there.
2. Add a condition attribute in the generate_ block and make the condition evaluate to false just in the stack which should not have the file generated.

For the 2 option, see the example below:

# /config.tm.hcl
globals {
    generate_file_x = true
}

generate_hcl "x.tf" {
    condition = global.generate_file_x
    content {
        test = 1
    }
}

then inside a child stack:

# /general/stack-xpto
globals {
    generate_file_x = false
}

The example above also works for generate_file if the context attribute is not set.

If you're using generate_file block and the file must be generated only at a single directory, then that's why the context attribute exists, so you can control the target directory explicitly, making it an absolute path (relative to the project root):
Example:

# /config.tm

globals {
    object = {
        test = 1
    }
}

generate_file "/some/dir/file.json" {
    context = root
    content = tm_jsonencode(global.object)
}

let me know it this answer your question.

[az-z]

I think it does. But it a lot of useful and detailed information that I need to process and apply. Thank you _very_ much for taking your time to explain these concepts to me.

…

On Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 16:38 伊亜希 ***@***.***> wrote: Hi @az-z <https://github.com/az-z> The generate_hcl generates HCL files but in your example, it shows an S3.json file. Is this the one that got generated? Wasn't it a generate_file block? The generate_hcl supports only stack code generation (we call this the generate context), then it generates files only inside stack directories but you can control which stacks should have it generated. It's *never* generated inside non-stack directories, if it does, then it's a bug. The generate_file block, by default, also only generates inside stacks but the generation context can be set to root and then in this case you can say explicitly where the file must be generated (not only stacks, any directory). When you execute terramate generate, when in stack context, it generates code for each stack. For each stack, it loads the generate_ definitions of its directory and parent directories until the root of the repo/project is reached and then generates the files relative to the stack dir. In other words, each generate_ declaration generates inside all child stacks. So in your example, if proj/general/policy is a stack and you have generate_hcl declarations inside proj/general/ or proj/ then it will generate inside policy. This mechanism exists so you can group similar stacks inside a common directory and then have a single generate_hcl for generating code inside all of them. Below are two ways you can solve your problem: 1. Place the generate_hcl or generate_file declaration inside the stack directory which must have the file generated, then the file is only generated there. 2. Add a condition attribute in the generate_ block and make the condition evaluate to false just in the stack which should not have the file generated. For the *2* option, see the example below: # /config.tm.hcl globals { generate_file_x = true } generate_hcl "x.tf" { condition = global.generate_file_x content { test = 1 } } then inside a child stack: # /general/stack-xpto globals { generate_file_x = false } The example above also works for generate_file if the context attribute is not set. If you're using generate_file block and the file must be generated only at a single directory, then that's why the context attribute exists, so you can control the target directory explicitly, making it an absolute path (relative to the project root): Example: # /config.tm globals { object = { test = 1 } } generate_file "/some/dir/file.json" { context = root content = tm_jsonencode(global.object) } let me know it this answer your question. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#810 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABGHHXM5AXWWZLFOS5HNGBTWTBPGPANCNFSM6AAAAAAT7O5LKE> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>