How to use the command 'az bicep' (with examples)
The az bicep command is a part of the Azure CLI and is used to work with Bicep files. Bicep is a Domain Specific Language (DSL) used to describe and deploy Azure resources declaratively. The az bicep command group provides various operations for working with Bicep files, such as installation, building, decompiling, upgrading, and uninstallation.
Use case 1: Install Bicep CLI
Code:
az bicep install
Motivation: By using this command, you can easily install the Bicep CLI on your local machine. The Bicep CLI is a command-line tool that enables you to work with Bicep files and deploy Azure resources.
Explanation: This command does not require any arguments.
Example output:
The Bicep CLI has been successfully installed!
Version: 0.4.0
Use case 2: Build a Bicep file
Code:
az bicep build --file path/to/file.bicep
Motivation: This command is used to compile a Bicep file into an ARM template JSON file. The ARM template can then be deployed to Azure using the Azure Resource Manager.
Explanation:
--file: Specifies the path to the Bicep file that you want to build.
Example output:
Successfully built 'path/to/file.json'.
Use case 3: Attempt to decompile an ARM template file to a Bicep file
Code:
az bicep decompile --file path/to/template_file.json
Motivation: The decompile command allows you to convert an existing ARM template JSON file to a Bicep file. This can be useful if you want to migrate your infrastructure-as-code from ARM templates to Bicep files.
Explanation:
--file: Specifies the path to the ARM template JSON file that you want to decompile.
Example output:
Decompilation of 'path/to/template_file.json' to 'path/to/template_file.bicep' is successful.
Use case 4: Upgrade Bicep CLI to the latest version
Code:
az bicep upgrade
Motivation: By using this command, you can easily upgrade your existing Bicep CLI to the latest version available.
Explanation: This command does not require any arguments.
Example output:
The Bicep CLI has been successfully upgraded!
Updated version: 0.6.0
Use case 5: Display the installed version of Bicep CLI
Code:
az bicep version
Motivation: This command allows you to check the currently installed version of the Bicep CLI on your machine. It can be helpful to ensure that you are using the correct version for your Bicep files.
Explanation: This command does not require any arguments.
Example output:
Installed version: 0.6.0
Use case 6: List all available versions of Bicep CLI
Code:
az bicep list-versions
Motivation: By running this command, you can get a list of all the available versions of the Bicep CLI. This can be useful if you want to choose a specific version to install or upgrade to.
Explanation: This command does not require any arguments.
Example output:
Available versions:
- 0.4.0
- 0.5.0
- 0.6.0
Use case 7: Uninstall Bicep CLI
Code:
az bicep uninstall
Motivation: This command allows you to completely uninstall the Bicep CLI from your local machine if you no longer need it.
Explanation: This command does not require any arguments.
Example output:
The Bicep CLI has been successfully uninstalled!
Conclusion:
In this article, we explored the different use cases of the az bicep command. We learned how to install the Bicep CLI, build Bicep files, decompile ARM template files to Bicep files, upgrade the CLI, check the installed version, list the available versions, and uninstall the Bicep CLI. These commands are essential for working with Bicep files and deploying Azure resources declaratively.
