Azure Bicep v0.31.34 Release: Enhanced Features and Key Updates

The Azure Bicep team has just rolled out the latest version, v0.31.34, packed with impressive features and vital improvements for developers leveraging infrastructure as code. Here's a rundown of what's new and noteworthy in this release.

Key Features and Enhancements

1. Improved Ternary Type Inference (#15399)

A significant update in v0.31.34 focuses on improving ternary type inference. This enhancement ensures that when a ternary condition (true ? 'a' : 'b') is evaluated with a known literal condition, Bicep will now infer the type based on the active branch, streamlining template writing and type management. Additionally, when both branches can be combined more effectively than a simple union, Bicep now supports collapsing the types, making templates more readable and type-safe. Explore the full details.

2. Allow dependsOn for Existing Resources (#15459)

Bicep now supports the use of dependsOn for existing resources, which simplifies template structure by allowing resource authors to explicitly specify dependencies involving pre-existing resources. This change respects the transitive dependencies within the Bicep type system and aligns with more complex real-world deployment scenarios. Learn more about this feature.

3. Tree-Shaking of Existing Resources (#15447)

With the latest update, Bicep implements tree-shaking capabilities for existing resources, optimizing deployments by only retaining dependencies that are explicitly or implicitly needed. This results in streamlined templates and more efficient ARM deployments by avoiding unnecessary reads of remote state data. Check out the pull request.

4. Enhanced Module Version Sorting (#15400)

Public registry module version completion items now follow semantic versioning and include zero-padding. This enhancement ensures that module versions are sorted correctly, making it easier for users to select the appropriate version during template development. Read more on the improvement.

5. New Refactoring Tools (#14701)

Developers will appreciate the new ability to extract parameters, variables, and types. This feature supports more modular and organized code, allowing developers to refactor their templates easily without manual adjustments. It improves overall code maintainability and enhances the development workflow. Dive into the details.

6. User-Defined Functions and Variable Access (#15142)

Bicep now allows variables to be accessed within user-defined functions. This update expands the power and flexibility of custom function authoring, enabling better encapsulation and reuse of logic across complex templates. See the full PR here.

7. nameof() Function Addition (#14704)

The new nameof() function is a powerful addition that helps developers retrieve the name of a resource or module as a string at compile time. This supports dynamic configurations and cleaner, more adaptable code that can reference resource names directly without hardcoding them. More information available here.

Bug Fixes and Notable Improvements

- Deprecation Warning for Microsoft Graph Built-in Extension (#15149)

A deprecation warning has been added for the Microsoft Graph built-in extension, signaling changes ahead for developers who rely on this feature.

- Deployment Script Snippets (#15191)

Improved deployment script snippets are now available, making it easier to build and integrate deployment scripts into Bicep templates.

- Linter Rule Updates

The maximum variables limit has been increased from 256 to 512 (#15464), allowing for more comprehensive and detailed templates without running into arbitrary constraints.

- Return Type Fix for reduce() (#15386)

Thanks to a community contribution by @miqm, a bug affecting the return type of the reduce() function has been fixed, improving accuracy in template evaluations.

- Enhanced Resource Type Completion (#15267)

Completion suggestions for resource<...> now include necessary strings, further enhancing the development experience.

- Param Extraction with Resource-Derived Types (#15282)

A refined approach allows parameter extraction while maintaining resource-derived types, aiding in template clarity and usability.

- Clarified Code Formatting (#15194)

The update ensures better handling of newlines before and after code extractions, maintaining a cleaner code format during refactorings.

Conclusion

Azure Bicep v0.31.34 is a feature-rich release that demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to enhancing the infrastructure-as-code experience. From improved type inference and refactoring tools to smarter dependency handling and enhanced module management, this update empowers developers to write cleaner, more efficient, and maintainable Bicep templates. For those managing complex deployments, the new features and optimizations provide an invaluable boost to productivity and code organization.

Check out the full details of these key updates by exploring the linked pull requests:

• Nameof Function (#14704)
• Extract Parameter, Variable, and Type (#14701)
• Allow Imported Variable Access in User Defined Functions (#15142)
• Sort Public Registry Module Version Completion Items (#15400)
• Tree-Shaking Existing Resources (#15447)
• Allow dependsOn for Existing Resources (#15459)
• Improve Ternary Type Inference (#15399)