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Using the env() Function in Terraform

Core Problem

When working with Terraform, managing environment variables can be a challenge. The TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN variable is particularly problematic, as it requires manual intervention to access and use its value.

Solution & Analysis

data "external" "env" {
  program = ["jq", "-n", "{TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN: env.TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN}"]
}

provider "example" {
  # ...
  oidc_token = data.external.env.result.TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN
}

or

data "external" "env" {
  program = ["jq", "-n", "{TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN: env.TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN}"]
}

resource "example" "provider" {
  # ...
  oidc_token = data.external.env.result.TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN
}

By introducing a new data source, the env() function allows you to easily access environment variables in your Terraform configuration. This simplifies the process of managing identity tokens and other sensitive information.

Conclusion

With the introduction of the env() function, Terraform users can now simplify their workflow by leveraging existing environment variable management tools. This feature is particularly useful for automating workflows and integrating with external systems.

Note: The above example uses the jq command to parse the JSON output of the data.external.env source. This assumes that the value of TFC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_TOKEN can be safely passed as a string.

Reference