Create new values

[powellchristoph]

It looks like the tool only lets you get/set existing values and not create new ones.

$ cat test.hcl
foo {
    bar = true
}

$ cat test.hcl | hclq set 'foo.baz' 'this is new'
foo {
  bar = true
}

I would really love to be able to do:

$ cat test.hcl | hclq set 'foo.baz' 'this is new'
foo {
  bar = true
  baz = 'this is new'
}

[powellchristoph]

Actually, now that I have started using it. I rather like the existing functionality. Closing as no longer required.

[mingfang]

I need the ability to create new values.
Please reopen.

[mattolenik]

Agreed, this would be great! I've started rewriting how values are parsed and set, it doesn't correctly handle all cases. As a consequence of that work, it should be easy to make set add new values as well.

[timstoop]

I'd really like to see this as well! Any update on the progress?

[mattolenik]

I haven't had a chance to try to work this into the current codebase, unfortunately. However, I started working with the HCL2 API, and it simplifies a lot of the things I've been trying to do. Now there's a first-class API for easily manipulating HCL, so I'm starting to rewrite this tool to wrap that functionality with hclq. This rewrite should solve the majority of tricky issues I've had with HCL1.

Unfortunately that does mean dropping HCL1 used by Terraform 0.11, but at this point I don't think it's worth it to continue development with the old language, which is just too hacky.

I'll keep this open until support for HCL2 lands. Stay tuned!