diff --git a/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md b/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6067c5486 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +--- +layout: "docs" +page_title: "Configuring Local Values" +sidebar_current: "docs-config-locals" +description: |- + Local values assign a name to an expression that can then be used multiple times + within a module. +--- + +# Local Value Configuration + +Local values assign a name to an expression, that can then be used multiple +times within a module. + +Comparing modules to functions in a traditional programming language, +if [variables](./variables.html) are analogous to function arguments and +[outputs](./outputs.html) are analogous to function return values then +_local values_ are comparable to a function's local variables. + +This page assumes you're already familiar with +[the configuration syntax](/docs/configuration/syntax.html). + +## Example + +Local values are defined in `locals` blocks: + +```hcl +# Ids for multiple sets of EC2 instances, merged together +locals { + instance_ids = "${concat(aws_instance.blue.*.id, aws_instance.green.*.id)}" +} + +# A computed default name prefix +locals { + default_name_prefix = "${var.project_name}-web" + name_prefix = "${var.name_prefix != "" ? var.name_prefix : local.default_name_prefix}" +} +``` + +## Description + +The `locals` block defines one or more local variables within a module. +Each `locals` block can have as many locals as needed, and there can be any +number of `locals` blocks within a module. + +The names given for the items in the `locals` block must be unique throughout +a module. The given value can be any expression that is valid within +the current module. + +The expression of a local value can refer to other locals, but as usual +reference cycles are not allowed. That is, a local cannot refer to itself +or to a variable that refers (directly or indirectly) back to it. + +It's recommended to group together logically-related local values into +a single block, particulary if they depend on each other. This will help +the reader understand the relationships between variables. Conversely, +prefer to define _unrelated_ local values in _separate_ blocks, and consider +annotating each block with a comment describing any context common to all +of the enclosed locals. diff --git a/website/layouts/docs.erb b/website/layouts/docs.erb index 89a893545..5457337f9 100644 --- a/website/layouts/docs.erb +++ b/website/layouts/docs.erb @@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ Outputs + > + Local Values + + > Modules