AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) has just hit general availability, and it’s trying to dethrone terraform. CDK is AWS’ response to the limitation and criticism levied against cloud formation – namely quality of life features (like for-loops, if statements, organization into modules, etc..) and more advanced features like object-oriented design and high-level abstractions. Ultimately it is to early to know if CDK will sway people away from terraform, but it is a dam good start.

CloudFormation Development toolkit takes Typescript, Python, or JavaScript code and transforms it into a CloudFormation (CFN) template which it then deploys. A developer without ever knowing how to write a CFN template could pop open VS Code, import CDK and it Construct and starts declaring what they want in minutes. This is a big deal, unlike terraform and CFN where you must learn a new language to use – CDK says – Hey you know typescript awesome now deploy an entire infrastructure.

For example, to create an EC2 the following typescript can be used:

Time will tell if CDK will be amazing but things are looking hopeful and I for one will be watching.