<p>Yes: in the <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/latest/guide/hello_world.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hello world CDK example</a>, they call it &quot;synthesizing&quot;:</p>
<p><code>cdk synth</code></p>
<p>^^ produces CloudFormation file.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-11T13:52:25.030Z
The only problem is that sometimes `synth` requires online access (if your lambda is in VPC).
Askar Kalykov
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-30T10:31:32.633Z
2020-10-30T10:31:32.633Z
Ta Mu
<p>As Tamara had already mentioned, CDK already produces this for you during synthesis. To clarify this further, if you look in the <strong>cdk.out</strong> directory, you'll find a <em>xxxxx.template.json</em> file for every stack.</p>
<p>This is your synthesized template that CDK passes onto Cloudformation.</p>
<p>Additionally, you may also benefit from taking a look at <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/v2/guide/cli.html#cli-diff" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cdk diff</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The cdk diff command compares the current version of a stack defined in your app with the already-deployed version, or with a saved AWS CloudFormation template, and displays a list of changes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Let me know if you have any further questions!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-15T13:02:39.593Z
2022-09-15T13:02:39.593Z
user981231237
<p>Since I've seen Hashicorp Terraform, I have been wondering why the &quot;plan&quot; it can export has binary format.</p>
<p>Now in the AWS world you have got a declarative configuration language called CloudFormation which can be abstracted from using AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit) in a common programming language of your choice.</p>
<p>Therefore my question: imagine somebody familiar with CloudFormation would like to see what CDK code will do. Is there a way to export a CloudFormation file using CDK?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-09T10:03:22.927Z
So from your experience there's no way to export CF file from terraform code?
koalaok
<amazon-web-services><aws-cloudformation>
Export CloudFormation file from CDK
Ta Mu
# Export CloudFormation file from CDK

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-30)

Since I've seen Hashicorp Terraform, I have been wondering why the "plan" it can export has binary format.

Now in the AWS world you have got a declarative configuration language called CloudFormation which can be abstracted from using AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit) in a common programming language of your choice.

Therefore my question: imagine somebody familiar with CloudFormation would like to see what CDK code will do. Is there a way to export a CloudFormation file using CDK?

**Tags:** amazon-web-services, aws-cloudformation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: So from your experience there's no way to export CF file from terraform code?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-10-30. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

Yes: in the [hello world CDK example](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/latest/guide/hello_world.html), they call it "synthesizing":

`cdk synth`

^^ produces CloudFormation file.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: The only problem is that sometimes `synth` requires online access (if your lambda is in VPC).  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-09-15. Score: 0

As Tamara had already mentioned, CDK already produces this for you during synthesis. To clarify this further, if you look in the **cdk.out** directory, you'll find a *xxxxx.template.json* file for every stack.

This is your synthesized template that CDK passes onto Cloudformation.

Additionally, you may also benefit from taking a look at [cdk diff](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/v2/guide/cli.html#cli-diff).

> The cdk diff command compares the current version of a stack defined in your app with the already-deployed version, or with a saved AWS CloudFormation template, and displays a list of changes.

Let me know if you have any further questions!


---

