Question about the new Bicepparam files

[oliverlabs]

Hi all,

I just wanted to say I love the new .bicepparam file format and how simple it is. One question I had immediately after trying it is: "Why do we need to tie it to a corresponding .bicep file explicitly via using main.bicep declaration? JSON Schema parameter files are bicep file agnostic (e.g. they can be reused by any bicep/arm file). Surely we could adopt the same for the .bicepparam files. Was it a deliberate design decision?

[alex-frankel]

This was a deliberate design decision. In practice we tend to see parameter files being specific to a single parameters file or we see multiple parameter files being tied to a single bicep file -- i.e. dev.bicepparam vs prod.bicepparam.

We are also planning to introduce an inheritance model such that you can re-use a set of parameters in another bicepparam file.

We are also open to revisiting the decision, but wanted to start strict for now and we can always relax the constraint if needed. Going the other direction would have been a breaking change.

[brwilkinson]

@oliverlabs

I am also testing out this new feature and had similar questions, your post prompted me to test some behavior.

1. Can use the param file against multiple templates?

   1. If you point it at a Template that doesn't exist it will not build, which seems good ✅

      

      bicep build-params .\tenants\LAB\values-d1.bicepparam                                                                                                   
      .\tenants\LAB\values-d1.bicepparam(1,7) : Error BCP091: An error occurred reading file. Could not find file '.\bicep\main3.bicep'.

2. having the link to the correct template allow for the linting in the param file and autocomplete from the Template ✅

   

3. If you have 2 template files with the same set of parameters, it doesn't block you ✅

   1. The bicep build-params .\tenants\LAB\values-d1.bicepparam works since it's pointing to a valid template
   2. Then the json file that is output has no reference of which Template it was linked to when it was built
      1. So now you can use this param file to deploy with main.bicep or main2.bicep
         • I hope this remains true when we don't have to pre-compile with bicep build-params

   

   

   deploy main.bicep

   

   json params - no reference to main2.bicep

   

   VERBOSE: Performing the operation "Creating Deployment" on target "AEU1-PE-CTL-RG-D1".
   VERBOSE: 3:27:34 PM - Template is valid.
   VERBOSE: 3:27:36 PM - Create template deployment 'Namespace_Bicep'