core: Support explicit variable type declaration

This commit adds support for declaring variable types in Terraform
configuration. Historically, the type has been inferred from the default
value, defaulting to string if no default was supplied. This has caused
users to devise workarounds if they wanted to declare a map but provide
values from a .tfvars file (for example).

The new syntax adds the "type" key to variable blocks:

```
variable "i_am_a_string" {
    type = "string"
}

variable "i_am_a_map" {
    type = "map"
}
```

This commit does _not_ extend the type system to include bools, integers
or floats - the only two types available are maps and strings.

Validation is performed if a default value is provided in order to
ensure that the default value type matches the declared type.

In the case that a type is not declared, the old logic is used for
determining the type. This allows backwards compatiblity with previous
Terraform configuration.

config/config.go

@@ -98,9 +98,10 @@ type Provisioner struct {
 
 // Variable is a variable defined within the configuration.
 type Variable struct {
-	Name        string
-	Default     interface{}
-	Description string
+	Name         string
+	DeclaredType string `mapstructure:"type"`
+	Default      interface{}
+	Description  string
 }
 
 // Output is an output defined within the configuration. An output is
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 	for _, v := range c.Variables {
 		if v.Type() == VariableTypeUnknown {
 			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf(
-				"Variable '%s': must be string or mapping",
+				"Variable '%s': must be a string or a map",
 				v.Name))
 			continue
 		}
@@ -780,25 +781,45 @@ func (v *Variable) Merge(v2 *Variable) *Variable {
 	return &result
 }
 
-// Type returns the type of varialbe this is.
+var typeStringMap = map[string]VariableType{
+	"string": VariableTypeString,
+	"map":    VariableTypeMap,
+}
+
+// Type returns the type of variable this is.
 func (v *Variable) Type() VariableType {
-	if v.Default == nil {
-		return VariableTypeString
+	if v.DeclaredType != "" {
+		declaredType, ok := typeStringMap[v.DeclaredType]
+		if !ok {
+			return VariableTypeUnknown
+		}
+
+		return declaredType
 	}
 
-	var strVal string
-	if err := mapstructure.WeakDecode(v.Default, &strVal); err == nil {
-		v.Default = strVal
-		return VariableTypeString
+	return v.inferTypeFromDefault()
+}
+
+// ValidateTypeAndDefault ensures that default variable value is compatible
+// with the declared type (if one exists), and that the type is one which is
+// known to Terraform
+func (v *Variable) ValidateTypeAndDefault() error {
+	// If an explicit type is declared, ensure it is valid
+	if v.DeclaredType != "" {
+		if _, ok := typeStringMap[v.DeclaredType]; !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Variable '%s' must be of type string or map", v.Name)
+		}
 	}
 
-	var m map[string]string
-	if err := mapstructure.WeakDecode(v.Default, &m); err == nil {
-		v.Default = m
-		return VariableTypeMap
+	if v.DeclaredType == "" || v.Default == nil {
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	return VariableTypeUnknown
+	if v.inferTypeFromDefault() != v.Type() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'%s' has a default value which is not of type '%s'", v.Name, v.DeclaredType)
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (v *Variable) mergerName() string {
@@ -813,3 +834,26 @@ func (v *Variable) mergerMerge(m merger) merger {
 func (v *Variable) Required() bool {
 	return v.Default == nil
 }
+
+// inferTypeFromDefault contains the logic for the old method of inferring
+// variable types - we can also use this for validating that the declared
+// type matches the type of the default value
+func (v *Variable) inferTypeFromDefault() VariableType {
+	if v.Default == nil {
+		return VariableTypeString
+	}
+
+	var strVal string
+	if err := mapstructure.WeakDecode(v.Default, &strVal); err == nil {
+		v.Default = strVal
+		return VariableTypeString
+	}
+
+	var m map[string]string
+	if err := mapstructure.WeakDecode(v.Default, &m); err == nil {
+		v.Default = m
+		return VariableTypeMap
+	}
+
+	return VariableTypeUnknown
+}

config/config_string.go

@@ -278,6 +278,11 @@ func variablesStr(vs []*Variable) string {
 			required = " (required)"
 		}
 
+		declaredType := ""
+		if v.DeclaredType != "" {
+			declaredType = fmt.Sprintf(" (%s)", v.DeclaredType)
+		}
+
 		if v.Default == nil || v.Default == "" {
 			v.Default = "<>"
 		}
@@ -286,9 +291,10 @@ func variablesStr(vs []*Variable) string {
 		}
 
 		result += fmt.Sprintf(
-			"%s%s\n  %v\n  %s\n",
+			"%s%s%s\n  %v\n  %s\n",
 			k,
 			required,
+			declaredType,
 			v.Default,
 			v.Description)
 	}

config/loader_hcl.go

@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@ func (t *hclConfigurable) Config() (*Config, error) {
 	}
 
 	type hclVariable struct {
-		Default     interface{}
-		Description string
-		Fields      []string `hcl:",decodedFields"`
+		Default      interface{}
+		Description  string
+		DeclaredType string   `hcl:"type"`
+		Fields       []string `hcl:",decodedFields"`
 	}
 
 	var rawConfig struct {
@@ -70,9 +71,14 @@ func (t *hclConfigurable) Config() (*Config, error) {
 			}
 
 			newVar := &Variable{
-				Name:        k,
-				Default:     v.Default,
-				Description: v.Description,
+				Name:         k,
+				DeclaredType: v.DeclaredType,
+				Default:      v.Default,
+				Description:  v.Description,
+			}
+
+			if err := newVar.ValidateTypeAndDefault(); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
 			}
 
 			config.Variables = append(config.Variables, newVar)

config/loader_test.go

@@ -444,6 +444,30 @@ func TestLoadDir_override(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLoadFile_mismatchedVariableTypes(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := LoadFile(filepath.Join(fixtureDir, "variable-mismatched-type.tf"))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: expected error")
+	}
+
+	errorStr := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(errorStr, "'not_a_map' has a default value which is not of type 'string'") {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: expected error has wrong text: %s", errorStr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadFile_badVariableTypes(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := LoadFile(filepath.Join(fixtureDir, "bad-variable-type.tf"))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: expected error")
+	}
+
+	errorStr := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(errorStr, "'bad_type' must be of type string") {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: expected error has wrong text: %s", errorStr)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadFile_provisioners(t *testing.T) {
 	c, err := LoadFile(filepath.Join(fixtureDir, "provisioners.tf"))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -802,6 +826,12 @@ aws_security_group[firewall] (x5)
 `
 
 const basicVariablesStr = `
+bar (required) (string)
+  <>
+  <>
+baz (map)
+  map[key:value]
+  <>
 foo
   bar
   bar

config/test-fixtures/bad-variable-type.tf

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+variable "bad_type" {
+    type = "notatype"
+}

config/test-fixtures/basic.tf

@@ -3,6 +3,18 @@ variable "foo" {
     description = "bar"
 }
 
+variable "bar" {
+    type = "string"
+}
+
+variable "baz" {
+    type = "map"
+
+    default = {
+        key = "value"
+    }
+}
+
 provider "aws" {
   access_key = "foo"
   secret_key = "bar"

config/test-fixtures/basic.tf.json

@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@
         "foo": {
             "default": "bar",
             "description": "bar"
+        },
+        "bar": {
+            "type": "string"
+        },
+        "baz": {
+            "type": "map",
+            "default": {
+                "key": "value"
+            }
         }
     },
 

config/test-fixtures/variable-mismatched-type.tf

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+variable "not_a_map" {
+    type = "string"
+
+    default = {
+        i_am_not = "a string"
+    }
+}

terraform/context_validate_test.go

@@ -25,6 +25,21 @@ func TestContext2Validate_badVar(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestContext2Validate_varNoDefaultExplicitType(t *testing.T) {
+	m := testModule(t, "validate-var-no-default-explicit-type")
+	c := testContext2(t, &ContextOpts{
+		Module: m,
+	})
+
+	w, e := c.Validate()
+	if len(w) > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", w)
+	}
+	if len(e) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", e)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestContext2Validate_computedVar(t *testing.T) {
 	p := testProvider("aws")
 	m := testModule(t, "validate-computed-var")

terraform/test-fixtures/validate-var-no-default-explicit-type/main.tf

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+variable "maybe_a_map" {
+    type = "map"
+
+    // No default
+}

website/source/docs/configuration/variables.html.md

@@ -23,9 +23,13 @@ already.
 A variable configuration looks like the following:
 
 ```
-variable "key" {}
+variable "key" {
+    type = "string"
+}
 
 variable "images" {
+    type = "map"
+
 	default = {
 		us-east-1 = "image-1234"
 		us-west-2 = "image-4567"
@@ -39,13 +43,22 @@ The `variable`  block configures a single input variable for
 a Terraform configuration. Multiple variables blocks can be used to
 add multiple variables.
 
-The `NAME` given to the variable block is the name used to
+The `name` given to the variable block is the name used to
 set the variable via the CLI as well as reference the variable
 throughout the Terraform configuration.
 
 Within the block (the `{ }`) is configuration for the variable.
 These are the parameters that can be set:
 
+  * `type` (optional) - If set this defines the type of the variable.
+    Valid values are `string` and `map`. In older versions of Terraform
+    this parameter did not exist, and the type was inferred from the
+    default value, defaulting to `string` if no default was set. If a
+    type is not specified, the previous behavior is maintained. It is
+    recommended to set variable types explicitly in preference to relying
+    on inferrence - this allows variables of type `map` to be set in the
+    `terraform.tfvars` file without requiring a default value to be set.
+
   * `default` (optional) - If set, this sets a default value
     for the variable. If this isn't set, the variable is required
     and Terraform will error if not set. The default value can be
@@ -59,15 +72,18 @@ These are the parameters that can be set:
 
 ------
 
-**Default values** can be either strings or maps. If a default
-value is omitted and the variable is required, the value assigned
-via the CLI must be a string.
+**Default values** can be either strings or maps, and if specified
+must match the declared type of the variable. If no value is supplied
+for a variable of type `map`, the values must be supplied in a
+`terraform.tfvars` file - they cannot be input via the console.
 
 String values are simple and represent a basic key to value
 mapping where the key is the variable name. An example is:
 
 ```
 variable "key" {
+    type = "string"
+
 	default = "value"
 }
 ```
@@ -79,6 +95,8 @@ An example:
 
 ```
 variable "images" {
+    type = "map"
+
 	default = {
 		us-east-1 = "image-1234"
 		us-west-2 = "image-4567"
@@ -115,6 +133,7 @@ The full syntax is:
 
 ```
 variable NAME {
+    [type = TYPE]
 	[default = DEFAULT]
 	[description = DESCRIPTION]
 }