Module Structure

Learn how Patterned Designs modules are organized and structured.

This page explains the standard structure and organization of Patterned Designs modules.

File Layout

Every module follows a consistent file structure:

module-name/
├── main.tf           # Core resources
├── variables.tf      # Input variables
├── outputs.tf        # Output values
├── versions.tf       # Provider version constraints
├── data.tf           # Data sources (if needed)
├── locals.tf         # Local values (if needed)
└── examples/
    ├── simple/       # Minimal usage example
    └── complete/     # Full-featured example

Input Variables

Variables follow these conventions:

  • Explicit types - Always declared with a type constraint
  • Safe defaults - Sensible defaults where possible
  • Validation - Input validation for allowed values
  • Documentation - Clear descriptions for each variable
variable "name" {
  type        = string
  description = "Name for the resource"
}

variable "enable_logging" {
  type        = bool
  default     = true
  description = "Enable CloudWatch logging"
}

Outputs

Outputs expose only what consumers need:

  • Resource IDs and ARNs
  • Computed values
  • Connection information
output "id" {
  value       = aws_resource.main.id
  description = "The resource ID"
}

Examples

Each module includes at least two examples:

  1. Simple - Minimal configuration with defaults
  2. Complete - Full configuration showing all options

Next Steps