Advanced constructs

Advanced Puppet language constructs help you write simpler and more effective Puppet code by reducing complexity.

• Iteration and loops

  Use iteration and loops to write more succinct code, and use data more effectively.

• Lambdas

  Lambdas are blocks of Puppet code passed to functions. When a function receives a lambda, it provides values for the lambda’s parameters and evaluates its code. If you use other programming languages, think of lambdas as anonymous functions that are passed to other functions.

• Resource default statements

  Resource default statements enable you to set default attribute values for a given resource type. Resource declarations within the area of effect that omits those attributes inherit the default values.

• Resource collectors

  Resource collectors select a group of resources by searching the attributes of each resource in the catalog, even resources which haven’t yet been declared at the time the collector is written. Collectors realize virtual resources, are used in chaining statements, and override resource attributes. Collectors have an irregular syntax that enables them to function as a statement and a value.

• Virtual resources

  A virtual resource declaration specifies a desired state for a resource without enforcing that state. Puppet manages the resource by realizing it elsewhere in your manifests. This divides the work done by a normal resource declaration into two steps. Although virtual resources are declared one time, they can be realized any number of times, similar to a class.

• Exported resources

  An exported resource declaration specifies a desired state for a resource, and publishes the resource for use by other nodes. It does not manage the resource on the target system. Any node, including the node that exports it, can collect the exported resource and manage its own copy of it.

• Tags

  Tags are useful for collecting resources, analyzing reports, and restricting catalog runs. Resources, classes, and defined type instances can have multiple tags associated with them, and they receive some tags automatically.

• Run stages

  Run stages are an additional way to order resources. Groups of classes run before or after everything else, without having to explicitly create relationships with other classes. The run stage feature has two parts: a stage resource type, and a stage metaparameter, which assigns a class to a named run stage.