the_information_nexus/docs/tech_docs/linux/CloudFormation.md

Certainly! Here's a recommended setup for working with CloudFormation templates on a Debian 12 workstation using Vim as your text editor, along with command-line tools and linters to ensure best practices:

1. Install Vim:

   • Vim is likely already installed on your Debian 12 system. If not, you can install it by running:

     sudo apt install vim
     

2. Configure Vim for JSON and YAML:

   • Install the vim-json and vim-yaml plugins for better syntax highlighting and indentation support. You can use a plugin manager like Vundle or Pathogen to simplify the installation process.
   • Configure your ~/.vimrc file with the following options for better JSON and YAML editing experience:

     syntax on
     filetype plugin indent on
     autocmd FileType json setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=2 softtabstop=2
     autocmd FileType yaml setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=2 softtabstop=2
     

3. Install command-line tools:

   • Install jq for processing JSON files:

     sudo apt install jq
     

   • Install yq for processing YAML files:

     sudo apt install yq
     

   • Install json2yaml and yaml2json for converting between JSON and YAML formats:

     sudo apt install json2yaml yaml2json
     

4. Install linters and validators:

   • Install yamllint for linting YAML files:

     sudo apt install yamllint
     

   • Install jsonlint for validating JSON files:

     sudo apt install jsonlint
     

5. Set up a validation workflow:

   • Create a Bash script named validate-template.sh with the following content:

     #!/bin/bash
     
     template_file=$1
     
     # Validate JSON
     if [[ $template_file == *.json ]]; then
       jsonlint -q $template_file
       if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
         echo "JSON validation failed for $template_file"
         exit 1
       fi
     fi
     
     # Validate YAML
     if [[ $template_file == *.yaml ]] || [[ $template_file == *.yml ]]; then
       yamllint $template_file
       if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
         echo "YAML validation failed for $template_file"
         exit 1
       fi
     fi
     
     echo "Template validation succeeded for $template_file"
     

   • Make the script executable:

     chmod +x validate-template.sh
     

   • Use this script to validate your CloudFormation templates before deploying them:

     ./validate-template.sh path/to/your/template.yaml
     

With this setup, you can use Vim as your primary text editor for writing CloudFormation templates in JSON or YAML format. The installed plugins and configurations will provide syntax highlighting and proper indentation.

You can use the command-line tools like jq and yq to process and manipulate your templates, and json2yaml and yaml2json to convert between the two formats if needed.

The linters, yamllint and jsonlint, will help you catch any syntax errors or best practice violations in your templates.

Finally, the validate-template.sh script automates the validation process, making it easier to ensure your templates are well-formatted and error-free before deploying them.

Remember to always test your templates in a safe environment before using them in production.