The cdk command is a CLI (Command Line Interface) tool for the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK). It allows developers to interact with the CDK and perform various operations, such as listing stacks, deploying stacks, and comparing stacks.

Use case 1: List the stacks in the app

Code:

cdk ls

Motivation: This use case allows you to view the existing stacks in your CDK application. It is useful for quickly checking the status of your stacks and verifying their names.

Explanation:

• ls: This command lists the stacks in the CDK application.

Example Output:

Stack1
Stack2

Use case 2: Synthesize and print the CloudFormation template for the specified stack(s)

Code:

cdk synth stack_name

Motivation: This use case allows you to generate the CloudFormation template for a specific stack in your CDK application. It is useful for reviewing the infrastructure-as-code that will be deployed to AWS.

Explanation:

• synth: This command synthesizes the CloudFormation template for the specified stack(s).
• stack_name: The name of the stack for which you want to generate the CloudFormation template.

Example Output:

Resources:
  MyBucket:
    Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
    Properties:
      BucketName: my-bucket

Use case 3: Deploy a space-separated list of stacks

Code:

cdk deploy stack_name

Motivation: This use case allows you to deploy one or more stacks in your CDK application to AWS. It automates the process of provisioning the infrastructure defined in your CDK code.

Explanation:

• deploy: This command deploys the specified stack(s) to AWS.
• stack_name: The name of the stack(s) you want to deploy. Multiple stack names can be provided, separated by spaces.

Example Output:

Stack: stack_name
Resources: 7
Duration: 7 minutes

Use case 4: Destroy a space-separated list of stacks

Code:

cdk destroy stack_name

Motivation: This use case allows you to delete one or more stacks in your CDK application from AWS. It removes the provisioned infrastructure and cleans up any resources associated with the stack.

Explanation:

• destroy: This command destroys the specified stack(s) in AWS by deleting the associated resources.
• stack_name: The name of the stack(s) you want to destroy. Multiple stack names can be provided, separated by spaces.

Example Output:

Stack: stack_name
Status: Destroyed

Use case 5: Compare the specified stack with the deployed stack or a local CloudFormation template

Code:

cdk diff stack_name

Motivation: This use case allows you to compare the current state of a stack with its deployed version or a local CloudFormation template. It helps you identify any differences and potential changes that will occur before applying updates.

Explanation:

• diff: This command compares the specified stack with its deployed version or a local CloudFormation template.
• stack_name: The name of the stack you want to compare.

Example Output:

Stack: stack_name
Resources to add: 2
Resources to update: 1

Use case 6: Create a new CDK project in the current directory for a specified language

Code:

cdk init -l language_name

Motivation: This use case allows you to initialize a new CDK project in the current directory using a specified programming language. It sets up the basic project structure and configuration files to get you started with writing CDK code.

Explanation:

• init: This command initializes a new CDK project.
• -l language_name: Specifies the programming language to use for the CDK project. Replace language_name with the desired language, such as typescript or python.

Example Output:

Initializing new CDK project in current directory...
Project successfully initialized.

Use case 7: Open the CDK API reference in your browser

Code:

cdk docs

Motivation: This use case allows you to quickly access the CDK API reference documentation in your browser. It provides detailed information on the available classes, methods, and properties that can be used when writing CDK code.

Explanation:

• docs: This command opens the CDK API reference in your default web browser.

Example Output:

The CDK API reference documentation opens in a new browser tab.

Conclusion:

The cdk command is a versatile tool for managing CDK applications and stacks. With its various use cases, developers can effectively develop, deploy, and maintain infrastructure-as-code using the AWS Cloud Development Kit.