Azure Bicep Cheat Sheet

Azure Bicep has become my preferred tool for writing infrastructure-as-code for Azure, thanks to its modularity and effortless adaptability. This repository serves as a handy cheat sheet, offering code snippets and references for Azure Bicep.

Note

Community contributions are welcome :-)! If you have content that you want to add, please add it to the cheat sheet using a pull request.

What is a cheat sheet?

A cheat sheet is a concise set of notes or a reference guide used for quick retrieval of essential information. It's often a single page that contains summaries, commands, formulas, or procedures that someone might need to reference frequently, especially when learning a new topic or skill.

What is Azure Bicep?

Azure Bicep is a domain-specific language (also known as DSL) designed by Microsoft for defining and deploying Azure resources in a declarative manner. It's the next generation of Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, offering a cleaner syntax, improved type safety, and better support for modularization. While ARM templates use JSON syntax, Bicep uses a more concise syntax that aims to make it easier for developers to author and maintain Azure deployments.

Topics

Note

Click the arrow next to a topic to expand its content.

Basics

Declarations of new and existing resources, variables, parameters and outputs, etcetera.

Create a resource

resource resourceName 'ResourceType@version' = {
  name: 'exampleResourceName'
  properties: {
    // resource properties here
  }
}

Create a child resource

Via name

resource resVnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2022-01-01' = {
  name: 'my-vnet'
}

resource resChildSubnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets@2022-01-01' = {
  name: '${resVnet}/my-subnet'
}

Via parent property

resource resVnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2022-01-01' = {
  name: 'my-vnet'
}

resource resChildSubnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets@2022-01-01' = {
  name: 'my-subnet'
  parent: resVnet
}

Via parent resource

resource resVnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2022-01-01' = {
  name: 'my-vnet'

  resource resChildSubnet 'subnets' = {
    name: 'my-subnet'
  }
}

Reference to an existing resource

resource resKeyVaultRef 'Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults@2019-09-01' = existing {
  name: 'myExistingKeyVaultName'
}

Access a nested resource (::)

resource resVnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2022-01-01' existing = {
  name: 'my-vnet'
  resource resChildSubnet 'subnets' existing = {
    name: 'my-subnet'
  }
}

// access child resource
output outChildSubnetId string = resVnet::resChildSubnet.id

Declare a variable

var varEnvironment = 'dev'

There is no need to declare a datatype for a variable, because the type is inferred from the value.

Declare a parameter

param parStorageAccountName string
param parLocation string = resourceGroup().location

Available datatypes are: string, bool, int, object, array and custom (user defined type).

Declare a secure parameter

@secure()
param parSecureParameter string

Declare an output

resource resPublicIp 'Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses@2023-02-01' ={
  name: parPublicIpName
  tags: parTags
  location: parLocation
  zones: parAvailabilityZones
  sku: parPublicIpSku
  properties: parPublicIpProperties
}

output outPublicIpId string = resPublicIp.id
output outMyString string = 'Hello!'

Available datatypes are: string, bool, int, object, array and custom (user defined type).

String interpolation

var varGreeting = 'Hello'
output outResult string = '${varGreeting} World'

Multi-line strings

var varMultiLineString = '''
  This is a
  Muli-line string
  variable.
'''

Modules

Split your deployment into smaller, reusable components.

Create a module

module modVirtualNetwork './network.bicep' = {
  name: 'networkModule'
  params: {
    parLocation: 'westeurope'
    parVnetName: 'my-vnet-name'
  }
}

Reference to a module using a bicep registry

module modBicepRegistryReference 'br/<bicep registry name>:<file path>:<tag>' = {
  name: 'deployment-name'
  params: {}
}

Conditions

Resource definitions based on conditions.

If condition

param parDeployResource bool

resource resDnsZone 'Microsoft.Network/dnszones@2018-05-01' = if (parDeployResource) {
  name: 'myZone'
  location: 'global'
}

Ternary if/else condition

param parEnvironment string

var varSku = parEnvironment == 'prod' ? 'premium' : 'standard'

Loops

Loop constructions.

foreach using an array

param parStorageAccountNames array = [
  'storageaccount1'
  'storageaccount2'
  'storageaccount3'
]

resource resStorageAccounts 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2021-04-01' = [for name in parStorageAccountNames: {
  name: name
  location: 'westeurope'
  kind: 'StorageV2'
  sku: {
    name: 'Standard_LRS'
  }
}]

foreach using an array of objects

param parStorageAccountNames array = [
  {
    name: 'storageaccount1'
    kind: 'StorageV2'
    sku: {
      name: 'Standard_LRS'
    }
  }
  {
    name: 'storageaccount2'
    kind: 'StorageV2'
    sku: {
      name: 'Standard_LRS'
    }
  }
]

resource resStorageAccounts 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2021-04-01' = [for storageAccount in parStorageAccountNames: {
  name: storageAccount.name
  location: 'westeurope'
  kind: storageAccount.kind
  sku: {
    name: storageAccount.sku
  }
}]

Data manipulation

Functions used to manipulate data.

Example data

var varGroceryStore = [
  {
    productName: 'Icecream'
    productPrice: 2
    productCharacteristics: [
      'Vegan'
      'Seasonal'
    ]
  }
  {
    productName: 'Banana'
    productPrice: 4
    productCharacteristics: [
      'Bio'
    ]
  }
]

filter() function

  output outProducts array = filter(varGroceryStore, item => item.productPrice >= 4)

returns

[
  {
    "productName": "Banana",
    "productPrice": 4,
    "productCharacteristics": [
      "Bio"
    ]
  }
]

map() function

output outDiscount array = map(range(0, length(varGroceryStore)), item => {
  productNumber: item
  productName: varGroceryStore[item].productName
  discountedPrice: 'The item ${varGroceryStore[item].productName} is on sale. Sale price: ${(varGroceryStore[item].productPrice / 2)}'
})

returns

[
  {
    "productNumber": 0,
    "productName": "Icecream",
    "discountedPrice": "The item Icecream is on sale. Sale price: 1"
  },
  {
    "productNumber": 1,
    "productName": "Banana",
    "discountedPrice": "The item Banana is on sale. Sale price: 2"
  }
]

sort() function

output outUsingSort array = sort(varGroceryStore, (a, b) => a.productPrice <= b.productPrice)

returns

[
  {
    "productName": "Icecream",
    "productPrice": 2,
    "productCharacteristics": [
      "Vegan"
      "Seasonal"
    ]
  },
  {
    "productName": "Banana",
    "productPrice": 4,
    "productCharacteristics": [
      "Bio"
    ]
  }
]

User Defined Types

Define custom complex data structures.

Primitive types

// a string type with two allowed strings ('Standard_LRS' or 'Standard_GRS')
type skuType = 'Standard_LRS' | 'Standard_GRS'

// an integer type with one allowed value (1337)
type integerType = 1337

// an boolean type with one allowed value (true)
type booleanType = true

// Reference the type
param parMyStringType skuType
param parMyIntType integerType
param parMyBoolType booleanType

A custom type that enforced an array with a specific object structure

type arrayWithObjectsType = {
  name: string
  age: int
}[]

param parCustomArray arrayWithObjectsType = [
  {
    name: 'John'
    age: 30
  }
]

Optional properties in objects (using ?)

type arrayWithObjectsType = {
  name: string
  age: int
  hasChildren: bool?
  hasPets: bool?
}[]

param parCustomArray arrayWithObjectsType = [
  {
    name: 'John'
    age: 30
  }
  {
    name: 'Jane'
    age: 31
    hasPets: true
  }
  {
    name: 'Jack'
    age: 45
    hasChildren: true
    hasPets: true
  }
]

Bicepconfig

Customize your Bicep development experience.

Azure Container Registry configuration

{
  "moduleAliases": {
    "br": {
      "<bicep registry name>": {
        "registry": "<url to registry>",
        "modulePath": "<module path of the alias>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Dependencies

Implicit and explicit dependencies.

Implicit dependency using symbolic name

resource resNetworkSecurityGroup 'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups@2019-11-01' = {
  name: 'my-networkSecurityGroup'
  location: resourceGroup().location
}

resource nsgRule 'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/securityRules@2019-11-01' = {
  name: '${resNetworkSecurityGroup}/AllowAllRule'
  properties: {
    // resource properties here
  }
}

Explicit dependency using dependsOn

resource resDnsZone 'Microsoft.Network/dnsZones@2018-05-01' = {
  name: 'contoso.com'
  location: 'global'
}

module modVirtualNetwork './network.bicep' = {
  name: 'networkModule'
  params: {
    parLocation: 'westeurope'
    parVnetName: 'my-vnet-name'
  }
  dependsOn: [
    resDnsZone
  ]
}

Deployment

Orchestration commands to deploy Azure Bicep to your Azure Environment.

Azure CLI

Scope	Command
resourceGroup	`az deployment group create --resource-group ResourceGroupName --template-file template.bicep --parameters parameters.bicepparam`
subscription	`az deployment sub create --location location --template-file template.bicep --parameters parameters.bicepparam`
managementGroup	`az deployment mg create --management-group-id ManagementGroupId --template-file template.bicep --parameters parameters.bicepparam`
tenant	`az deployment tenant create --location location --template-file template.bicep --parameters parameters.bicepparam`

Azure PowerShell

Scope	Command
resourceGroup	`New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroupName" -TemplateFile "template.bicep" -TemplateParameterFile "parameters.bicepparam`
subscription	`New-AzDeployment -Location "Location" -TemplateFile "template.bicep" -TemplateParameterFile "parameters.bicepparam"`
managementGroup	`New-AzManagementGroupDeployment -ManagementGroupId "ManagementGroupId" -Location "location" -TemplateFile "template.bicep" -TemplateParameterFile "parameters.bicepparam"`
tenant	`New-AzTenantDeployment -Location "Location" -TemplateFile "template.bicep" -TemplateParameterFile "parameters.bicepparam"`

Target Scopes

Deployment scope definitions.

Target scopes

The targetScope directive in Azure Bicep determines the level at which the Bicep template will be deployed within Azure. The default is targetScope = 'resourceGroup'.

Azure Bicep supports multiple levels of targetScope:

Scope	Description
resourceGroup	The Bicep file is intended to be deployed at the Resource Group level.
subscription	The Bicep file targets a Subscription, allowing you to manage resources or configurations across an entire subscription.
managementGroup	For managing resources or configurations across multiple subscriptions under a specific Management Group.
tenant	The highest scope, targeting the entire Azure tenant. This is useful for certain global resources or policies.

targetScope = 'resourceGroup'

resource resKeyVault 'Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults@2019-09-01' = {
  // key vault properties here
}

Use the scope property on modules to deploy on a different scope than the target scope:

// Uses the targetScope
module modStorageModule1 'storage.bicep' = {
  name: 'storageModule1'
}

// Uses the scope of the module
module modStorageModule2 'storage.bicep' = {
  name: 'storageModule2'
  scope: resourceGroup('other-subscription-id', 'other-resource-group-name')
  // module properties here
}

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