[Python] cdktf synh --hcl produces unnecessary quotes and bad syntax

[acwl-aiq]

Expected Behavior

locals {
x = "x"
y = local.x
}

Actual Behavior

locals {
x = "x"
y = "${local.x}"
}

Steps to Reproduce

1. Declare some local variables

x = TerraformLocal(self, "x", "x")
y = TerraformLocal(self, "y", x.as_string)

2. Run cdktf synth --hcl

3. Check cdktf.out

Versions

cdktf debug
language: python
cdktf-cli: 0.20.4
node: v21.5.0
cdktf: 0.20.4
constructs: 10.3.0
jsii: 1.94.0
terraform: 1.7.2
arch: x64
os: linux 5.10.102.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
python: Python 3.8.10
pip: pip 24.0 from /home/andylai/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)
pipenv: pipenv, version 2023.11.17
providers
aws@~> 4.63 (LOCAL)
terraform provider version: 4.67.0
cdktf-cdktf-provider-aws (PREBUILT)
terraform provider version: 5.39.0
prebuilt provider version: 19.8.0
cdktf version: ^0.20.0

Providers

│ Provider Name │ Provider Version │ CDKTF │ Constraint │ Package Name │ Package Version │
├───────────────┼──────────────────┼─────────┼────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────────┤
│ aws │ 4.67.0 │ │ ~> 4.63 │ │ │
├───────────────┼──────────────────┼─────────┼────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────────┤
│ aws │ 5.39.0 │ ^0.20.0 │ │ cdktf-cdktf-provider-aws │ 19.8.0 │

Gist

No response

Possible Solutions

No response

Workarounds

Hardcode the values

Anything Else?

This behaviour causes issues with the terraform linters which are blocking PRs.

References

No response

Help Wanted

• I'm interested in contributing a fix myself

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[DanielMSchmidt]

Hi there,
Could you specify the "bad syntax" part? Wrapping this property in quotes is not necessary, but I checked the snippet and it's definitely valid.

[acwl-aiq]

It is still allowed for now, but it is not advised by mainstream conventions. Notably, quoted references are officially considered deprecated by Hashicorp a few years ago. And as a result, it wouldn't be ideal to continue to use such a syntax: https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/terraform-0-12-14-released/3898

This also runs the risk of generated TF to be flagged by TF style checkers without additional intervention, which happens in my case.

Here's a similar ticket cut in another project:
terraform-google-modules/terraform-google-kubernetes-engine#373