How is this different from the Terraform Variables Generator?

The Terraform Variables Generator produces variables.tf, the file that declares each variable's name, type, description, and optional default. This tool produces terraform.tfvars, the sibling file that supplies the actual values Terraform substitutes in for those declared variables at plan/apply time.

Why do string values get quoted but numbers and booleans don't?

HCL requires string literals to be wrapped in double quotes, while number and bool literals are written bare (e.g. `3`, `true`). The generator applies the correct convention automatically based on the type you pick for each row, matching what `terraform fmt` expects.

How do I enter a list or map value?

Type list items separated by commas or newlines (e.g. "us-east-1a, us-east-1b") and the tool wraps them into `["us-east-1a", "us-east-1b"]`. For maps, use "key: value" pairs separated by commas or newlines (e.g. "env: prod, team: platform") and it renders `{ env = "prod", team = "platform" }` with one entry per line.

Will this overwrite defaults set in variables.tf?

Yes, that's the intended behavior in real Terraform too: a value assigned in terraform.tfvars always takes precedence over a `default` in the matching variable block, so only include variables here that you actually want to override or that have no default.

Terraform terraform.tfvars Generator

Overview

Introduction

Every variables.tf declaration needs a matching value somewhere, and terraform.tfvars is where those real values live, but getting the HCL literal syntax right for each type by hand (quoted strings, bare numbers, bracketed lists, brace-delimited maps) is easy to fumble.

This tool generates a terraform.tfvars file from repeatable rows of variable settings, applying the correct literal formatting for each value's type automatically.

What Is Terraform .tfvars Generator?

A terraform.tfvars generator covering Terraform's most common variable value shapes: string, number, bool, list, and map.

Each row you add becomes one `name = value` assignment line, formatted with the HCL syntax that type requires, and all lines are concatenated in the order you added them.

How Terraform .tfvars Generator Works

For each row, you set a variable name, pick a type from a toggle group, and type in the value. Strings get automatically quoted and escaped, numbers and booleans are emitted bare, list entries (comma or newline separated) are wrapped in brackets and quoted as needed, and map entries (as "key: value" pairs) are rendered as a multi-line HCL object.

The tool validates that names are legal HCL identifiers, catches duplicate assignments, and checks that map entries parse into valid key/value pairs before producing output.

When To Use Terraform .tfvars Generator

Use it right after scaffolding a variables.tf file (for example with the Terraform Variables Generator) to produce the matching terraform.tfvars with real values for a specific environment.

It's also useful for building a per-environment values file (dev.tfvars, prod.tfvars) without hand-formatting list and map literals from scratch.

Often used alongside Terraform Variables Generator and Terraform Config Generator.

Features

Advantages

Applies type-correct HCL literal formatting automatically instead of requiring you to remember quoting rules for each type.
Converts plain comma or newline separated input into properly bracketed lists and brace-delimited maps.
Catches duplicate variable names, invalid identifiers, and malformed map entries before you paste the output anywhere.

Limitations

Nested lists, nested maps, and object-typed values aren't supported directly; only flat lists of scalars and flat string-keyed maps are handled.
The tool doesn't cross-check names or types against an actual variables.tf file, so it's on you to keep the two files in sync.

Examples

A mixed-type tfvars file

Input

name: instance_count, type: number, value: 3
name: instance_type, type: string, value: t3.micro
name: availability_zones, type: list, value: "us-east-1a, us-east-1b"

Output

instance_count = 3
instance_type = "t3.micro"
availability_zones = ["us-east-1a", "us-east-1b"]

The number and string rows are emitted with type-appropriate formatting, and the comma-separated list input is converted into a bracketed, quoted HCL list literal.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Keep separate tfvars files per environment (dev.tfvars, staging.tfvars, prod.tfvars) rather than one shared file with conditional logic.
Only assign variables here that need an environment-specific value; leave variables with a suitable shared default out of terraform.tfvars entirely.
Never commit a tfvars file containing secrets; use a secrets manager or -var-file passed outside version control for sensitive values instead.

Developer Notes

Formatting is type-driven: strings are quoted and backslash-escaped, numbers and booleans are passed through verbatim after a non-empty check, list input is split on commas/newlines and each item is quoted unless it already looks like a quoted string, number, or boolean, and map input is parsed from "key: value" or "key = value" pairs into a multi-line `{ key = value }` block, returning a structured error if any map entry doesn't match that shape.

Terraform .tfvars Generator Use Cases

Generating a terraform.tfvars file to pair with a freshly scaffolded variables.tf
Building per-environment values files (dev/staging/prod) with consistent formatting
Quickly converting a plain list of values into a properly quoted HCL list or map literal

Common Mistakes

Forgetting that terraform.tfvars values override variables.tf defaults, leading to confusion about which value Terraform actually used.
Typing list or map values without the expected separators, producing a single malformed item instead of several.

Tips

Run the Terraform Variables Generator first to declare the variables, then use this tool to supply their values for a specific environment.

Terraform .tfvars Generator