HCL2 Parser

0.4.3 · active · verified Fri Apr 10

bc-python-hcl2 is a Python library that provides a parser for HashiCorp Configuration Language 2 (HCL2). It is written in Python using Lark and can be used to parse any HCL2 configuration file, such as Terraform files. This package, currently at version 0.4.3, is a fork of the original `python-hcl2` by Amplify and is officially supported by Bridgecrew. The two projects are diverging, so it's important to be aware of which specific package is being used.

Warnings

gotcha This library (`bc-python-hcl2` by Bridgecrew) is a fork of `python-hcl2` by Amplify Education. While they share a common history, they are now diverging. Ensure you are using the correct package based on your project's needs, as their APIs or behaviors may differ in future versions.
Fix: Explicitly install `bc-python-hcl2` if you intend to use the Bridgecrew-maintained fork, and consult its specific documentation for API nuances. If your project relies on the Amplify Education version, install `python-hcl2`.
breaking The library explicitly supports HCL2 only and is not backwards compatible with HCL v1. Attempting to parse HCL v1 syntax will result in errors.
Fix: Ensure that all HCL configuration files you intend to parse adhere strictly to the HCL2 specification. For HCL v1, a different parser would be required.
gotcha Older versions or information might suggest `python-hcl2` is a read-only parser. However, current versions (including `bc-python-hcl2` 0.4.3) support writing/reconstructing HCL2 from Python dictionaries using `hcl2.dumps()`, `hcl2.dump()`, and `hcl2.Builder()`.
Fix: Refer to the latest documentation for `hcl2.dumps()`, `hcl2.dump()`, and `hcl2.Builder()` to leverage HCL2 writing capabilities.

Install

pip install bc-python-hcl2 Install stable version

Imports

hcl2
```
import hcl2
```
The primary interface is directly through the `hcl2` module, not a submodule of `bc_python_hcl2`.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to parse HCL2 content from a file into a Python dictionary using `hcl2.load()`.

import hcl2
import os

hcl_content = '''
variable "region" {
  description = "AWS region"
  type        = string
  default     = "us-east-1"
}

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "example" {
  bucket = "my-unique-example-bucket-123"
  tags = {
    Name        = "My bucket"
    Environment = "Dev"
  }
}
'''

# Create a dummy HCL file
with open('example.tf', 'w') as f:
    f.write(hcl_content)

# Load HCL from a file
with open('example.tf', 'r') as f:
    parsed_hcl = hcl2.load(f)

print(parsed_hcl)

# Clean up the dummy file
os.remove('example.tf')

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