Install CDK for Terraform and run a quick start demo

10min
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Terraform
Video

Programming language

The Cloud Development Kit for Terraform (CDKTF) generates JSON Terraform configuration from code in C#, Python, TypeScript, Java, or Go, and creates infrastructure using Terraform. With CDKTF, you can use hundreds of providers and thousands of module definitions provided by HashiCorp and the Terraform community. By using your programming language of choice, you can take advantage of the features and development workflows you are familiar with.

CDKTF uses the Cloud Development Kit from AWS, which provides a set of language-native frameworks for defining infrastructure, and adapters that let underlying provisioning tools use those definitions. CDK for Terraform generates Terraform configuration to provision infrastructure with Terraform. The adapter works with existing Terraform providers and modules, and integrates with HCP Terraform and Terraform Enterprise. CDKTF uses the core Terraform workflow, including planning and applying your infrastructure changes.

Terraform as Platform

Follow this tutorial to install CDKTF and try a quick start example that provisions a Docker container.

Prerequisites

In order to use CDKTF, you need:

The Terraform CLI (1.2+).
Node.js and npm v16+.

To follow the quickstart, you also need:

Docker.
a recent version of the programming language prefer. Select a tab below to follow this tutorial with the version of your preferred language that we have tested.

TypeScript v4.4 and Node.js v16.13

Install CDKTF

You can install CDKTF with npm on most operating systems. You can also install CDKTF with Homebrew on MacOS.

To install the most recent stable release of CDKTF, use npm install with the @latest tag.

$ npm install --global cdktf-cli@latest

Verify the installation

Verify that you have CDKTF installed by running the cdktf help command to show the available subcommands.

$ cdktf help
cdktf

Commands:
  cdktf init                Create a new cdktf project from a template.
  cdktf get                 Generate CDK Constructs for Terraform providers and
                            modules.
  cdktf convert             Converts a single file of HCL configuration to CDK
                            for Terraform. Takes the file to be converted on
                            stdin.
  cdktf deploy [stacks...]  Deploy the given stacks             [aliases: apply]
  cdktf destroy [stacks..]  Destroy the given stacks
  cdktf diff [stack]        Perform a diff (terraform plan) for the given stack
                                                                 [aliases: plan]
  cdktf list                List stacks in app.
  cdktf login               Retrieves an API token to connect to Terraform Cloud
                            or Terraform Enterprise.
  cdktf synth               Synthesizes Terraform code for the given app in a
                            directory.                     [aliases: synthesize]
  cdktf watch [stacks..]    [experimental] Watch for file changes and
                            automatically trigger a deploy
  cdktf output [stacks..]   Prints the output of stacks       [aliases: outputs]
  cdktf debug               Get debug information about the current project and
                            environment
  cdktf provider            A set of subcommands that facilitates provider
                            management
  cdktf completion          generate completion script

Options:
      --version                   Show version number                  [boolean]
      --disable-plugin-cache-env  Dont set TF_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIR automatically.
                                  This is useful when the plugin cache is
                                  configured differently. Supported using the
                                  env CDKTF_DISABLE_PLUGIN_CACHE_ENV.
                                                      [boolean] [default: false]
      --log-level                 Which log level should be written. Only
                                  supported via setting the env CDKTF_LOG_LEVEL
                                                                        [string]
  -h, --help                      Show help                            [boolean]

Options can be specified via environment variables with the "CDKTF_" prefix
(e.g. "CDKTF_OUTPUT")

Add --help to any subcommand to learn more about what it does and available options.

$ cdktf init --help
cdktf init

Create a new cdktf project from a template.

Options:
      --version                   Show version number                  [boolean]
      --disable-plugin-cache-env  Dont set TF_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIR automatically.
                                  This is useful when the plugin cache is
                                  configured differently. Supported using the
                                  env CDKTF_DISABLE_PLUGIN_CACHE_ENV.
                                                      [boolean] [default: false]
      --log-level                 Which log level should be written. Only
                                  supported via setting the env CDKTF_LOG_LEVEL
                                                                        [string]
      --template                  The template to be used to create a new
                                  project. Either URL to zip file or one of the
                                  built-in templates: ["csharp", "go", "java",
                                  "python", "python-pip", "typescript"] [string]
      --project-name              The name of the project.              [string]
      --project-description       The description of the project.       [string]
      --dist                      Install dependencies from a "dist" directory
                                  (for development)                     [string]
      --local                     Use local state storage for generated
                                  Terraform.          [boolean] [default: false]
      --cdktf-version             The cdktf version to use while creating a new
                                  project.          [string] [default: "0.13.0"]
      --from-terraform-project    Use a terraform project as the basis, CDK
                                  constructs will be generated based on the .tf
                                  files in the path                     [string]
      --enable-crash-reporting    Enable crash reporting for the CLI, refer to
                                  https://cdk.tf/crash-reporting for more
                                  details                              [boolean]
  -h, --help                      Show help                            [boolean]

Quick start tutorial

Now that you've installed cdktf, write code that will provision an NGINX server using Docker Desktop on Mac, Windows, or Linux.

Start Docker Desktop if it is not already running.

Create and initialize the project

Start by creating a directory named learn-cdktf-docker for the project.

$ mkdir learn-cdktf-docker

Then, navigate into it.

$ cd learn-cdktf-docker

Inside the directory, initialize CDKTF with the appropriate template for your chosen language. Also specify that your project will use the Docker provider, and include the --local flag to prevent CDKTF from using HCP Terraform.

CDKTF will prompt you for information about your project, such as the name and description. Accept the defaults for these options.

$ cdktf init --template=typescript --providers=kreuzwerker/docker --local
Note: By supplying '--local' option you have chosen local storage mode for storing the state of your stack.
This means that your Terraform state file will be stored locally on disk in a file 'terraform.<STACK NAME>.tfstate' in the root of your project.
? Project Name learn-cdktf-docker
? Project Description A simple getting started project for cdktf.
? Do you want to start from an existing Terraform project? No
? Do you want to send crash reports to the CDKTF team? See
https://www.terraform.io/cdktf/create-and-deploy/configuration-file#enable-crash-reporting-for-the-cli for more
information Yes

added 2 packages, and audited 57 packages in 5s

7 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities

added 301 packages, and audited 358 packages in 6s

36 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities
========================================================================================================

  Your cdktf typescript project is ready!

  cat help                Print this message

  Compile:
    npm run get           Import/update Terraform providers and modules (you should check-in this directory)
    npm run compile       Compile typescript code to javascript (or "npm run watch")
    npm run watch         Watch for changes and compile typescript in the background
    npm run build         Compile typescript

  Synthesize:
    cdktf synth [stack]   Synthesize Terraform resources from stacks to cdktf.out/ (ready for 'terraform apply')

  Diff:
    cdktf diff [stack]    Perform a diff (terraform plan) for the given stack

  Deploy:
    cdktf deploy [stack]  Deploy the given stack

  Destroy:
    cdktf destroy [stack] Destroy the stack

  Test:
    npm run test        Runs unit tests (edit __tests__/main-test.ts to add your own tests)
    npm run test:watch  Watches the tests and reruns them on change

  Upgrades:
    npm run upgrade        Upgrade cdktf modules to latest version
    npm run upgrade:next   Upgrade cdktf modules to latest "@next" version (last commit)

 Use Providers:

  You can add prebuilt providers (if available) or locally generated ones using the add command:

  cdktf provider add "aws@~>3.0" null kreuzwerker/docker

  You can find all prebuilt providers on npm: https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=keywords:cdktf
  You can also install these providers directly through npm:

  npm install @cdktf/provider-aws
  npm install @cdktf/provider-google
  npm install @cdktf/provider-azurerm
  npm install @cdktf/provider-docker
  npm install @cdktf/provider-github
  npm install @cdktf/provider-null

  You can also build any module or provider locally. Learn more https://cdk.tf/modules-and-providers

========================================================================================================

Checking whether pre-built provider exists for the following constraints:
  provider: kreuzwerker/docker
  version : latest
  language: typescript
  cdktf   : 0.15.0

Found pre-built provider.
Package installed.

Edit the code

Update your project's code to create a Docker container from the latest NGINX image.

Delete the contents of main.ts and paste the following TypeScript code into it.

main.ts

import { Construct } from "constructs";
import { App, TerraformStack } from "cdktf";
import { DockerProvider } from "@cdktf/provider-docker/lib/provider";
import { Image } from "@cdktf/provider-docker/lib/image";
import { Container } from "@cdktf/provider-docker/lib/container";

class MyStack extends TerraformStack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, name: string) {
    super(scope, name);

    new DockerProvider(this, "docker", {});

    const dockerImage = new Image(this, "nginxImage", {
      name: "nginx:latest",
      keepLocally: false,
    });

    new Container(this, "nginxContainer", {
      name: "tutorial",
      image: dockerImage.name,
      ports: [
        {
          internal: 80,
          external: 8000,
        },
      ],
    });
  }
}

const app = new App();
new MyStack(app, "learn-cdktf-docker");
app.synth();

The CDKTF code above is equivalent to the following HCL configuration.

resource "docker_image" "nginx" {
  name         = "nginx:latest"
  keep_locally = false
}

resource "docker_container" "nginx" {
  image = docker_image.nginx.name
  name  = "tutorial"
  ports {
    internal = 80
    external = 8000
  }
}

Deploy container

Now run cdktf deploy to compile the code and provision the NGINX Docker container. CDKTF will print out a report of the changes that Terraform will make to your infrastructure. Choose Approve to apply these changes.

$ cdktf deploy
learn-cdktf-docker  Initializing the backend...
learn-cdktf-docker
                    Successfully configured the backend "local"! Terraform will automatically
                    use this backend unless the backend configuration changes.
learn-cdktf-docker  Initializing provider plugins...

                    Terraform has been successfully initialized!

                    You may now begin working with Terraform. Try running "terraform plan" to see
                    any changes that are required for your infrastructure. All Terraform commands
                    should now work.

                    If you ever set or change modules or backend configuration for Terraform,
                    rerun this command to reinitialize your working directory. If you forget, other
                    commands will detect it and remind you to do so if necessary.
typescript-docker  Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution
                   plan. Resource actions are indicated with the following symbols:
                   + create

                   Terraform will perform the following actions:
typescript-docker    # docker_container.nginxContainer (nginxContainer) will be created
                     + resource "docker_container" "nginxContainer" {
                   + attach           = false
##...
                   }

                     # docker_image.nginxImage (nginxImage) will be created
                     + resource "docker_image" "nginxImage" {
                   + id           = (known after apply)
                   + keep_locally = false
                   + latest       = (known after apply)
                   + name         = "nginx:latest"
                   + output       = (known after apply)
                   + repo_digest  = (known after apply)
                   }

                   Plan: 2 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy.

                   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

                   Saved the plan to: plan

                   To perform exactly these actions, run the following command to apply:
                   terraform apply "plan"

Please review the diff output above for typescript-docker
❯ Approve  Applies the changes outlined in the plan.
  Dismiss
  Stop

Verify the NGINX container exists by visiting localhost:8000 in your web browser or running docker ps to find the container.

NGINX running in Docker via Terraform

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                                                             COMMAND                  CREATED       STATUS      PORTS                              NAMES
86ff19f506f4   c316d5a335a5                                                      "/docker-entrypoint.…"   16 seconds ago   Up 15 seconds   0.0.0.0:8000->80/tcp               tutorial

Destroy the container

To remove the container and image, run cdktf destroy. Select Approve to approve the removal of your container.

$ cdktf destroy
typescript-docker  Initializing the backend...
typescript-docker  Initializing provider plugins...
                   - Reusing previous version of kreuzwerker/docker from the dependency lock file
typescript-docker  - Using previously-installed kreuzwerker/docker v2.16.0
typescript-docker  Terraform has been successfully initialized!

                   You may now begin working with Terraform. Try running "terraform plan" to see
                   any changes that are required for your infrastructure. All Terraform commands
                   should now work.

                   If you ever set or change modules or backend configuration for Terraform,
                   rerun this command to reinitialize your working directory. If you forget, other
                   commands will detect it and remind you to do so if necessary.
typescript-docker  docker_image.nginxImage (nginxImage): Refreshing state... [id=sha256:c316d5a335a5cf324b0dc83b3da82d7608724769f6454f6d9a621f3ec2534a5anginx:latest]
typescript-docker  docker_container.nginxContainer (nginxContainer): Refreshing state... [id=86ff19f506f470a0ddead8d77d2dc8e6cc8eaeca34358cd1a2df7372567caea3]
typescript-docker  Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution
                   plan. Resource actions are indicated with the following symbols:
                   - destroy

                   Terraform will perform the following actions:
typescript-docker    # docker_container.nginxContainer (nginxContainer) will be destroyed
                     - resource "docker_container" "nginxContainer" {
                   - attach            = false -> null
                   - command           = [
##...
                   }

                     # docker_image.nginxImage (nginxImage) will be destroyed
                     - resource "docker_image" "nginxImage" {
                   - id           = "sha256:c316d5a335a5cf324b0dc83b3da82d7608724769f6454f6d9a621f3ec2534a5anginx:latest" -> null
                   - keep_locally = false -> null
                   - latest       = "sha256:c316d5a335a5cf324b0dc83b3da82d7608724769f6454f6d9a621f3ec2534a5a" -> null
                   - name         = "nginx:latest" -> null
                   - repo_digest  = "nginx@sha256:2834dc507516af02784808c5f48b7cbe38b8ed5d0f4837f16e78d00deb7e7767" -> null
                   }

                   Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 2 to destroy.

                   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

                   Saved the plan to: plan

                   To perform exactly these actions, run the following command to apply:
                   terraform apply "plan"

Please review the diff output above for typescript-docker
❯ Approve  Applies the changes outlined in the plan.
  Dismiss
  Stop

You have now provisioned and destroyed an NGINX webserver with CDKTF.

Next steps

Now that you have installed CDKTF, learn how to use it to manage your resources in your preferred programming language.

Follow our AWS tutorial with TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, and Java.
Read the CDKTF Documentation.

Collection Overview

CDK for Terraform

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