feat: add --set-values flags and migrate --set to alias new --set-variables by mkcp · Pull Request #4466 · zarf-dev/zarf

mkcp · 2025-12-10T18:17:42Z

Description

This PR adds the --set-values flag so users can directly override values via the CLI, and begins the path to migrating --set. To do so, we add the --set-variables flag (or versions of it like --deploy-set-variables) and change the description of --set to indicate that it now aliases --set-variables. This alias is just a documentation change in the CLI help text: the flags function identically.

Related Issue

Fixes #4224

Checklist before merging

Test, docs, adr added or updated as needed
Contributor Guide Steps followed

…e --set description to indicate it's now an alias for this flag Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

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codecov · 2025-12-10T18:20:08Z

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 63.63636% with 28 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.

Files with missing lines	Patch %	Lines
src/cmd/package.go	44.82%	16 Missing ⚠️
src/cmd/dev.go	73.33%	12 Missing ⚠️

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
src/cmd/initialize.go	`27.20% <100.00%> (+0.56%)`	⬆️
src/cmd/viper.go	`54.44% <ø> (ø)`
src/cmd/dev.go	`46.25% <73.33%> (+0.96%)`	⬆️
src/cmd/package.go	`37.64% <44.82%> (-0.10%)`	⬇️

... and 3 files with indirect coverage changes

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Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

brandtkeller

migration makes sense - added some thoughts around guardrails natively available in cobra that we might consider.

brandtkeller · 2025-12-11T04:04:01Z

src/cmd/initialize.go


 	// Init package set variable flags
-	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.setVariables, "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgDeploySet), lang.CmdInitFlagSet)
+	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.setVariables, "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgDeploySet), "Alias for --set-variables")


Should we explicitly mark these as deprecated?

cmd.Flags().MarkDeprecated("set", "use --set-variables instead")

Rather than having a separate command as an alias that we mark as deprecated or hide, I think it would be better to use the builtin cobra functionality for aliasing a command. This leads to a more intuitive experience around viper config, and will lead to an easier time aliasing --set-values to --set in the future in the event that variables is fully replaced

For instance
cmd.Flags().StringToStringVarP(&o.setVariables, "set-variables", "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgCreateSet), lang.CmdPackageCreateFlagSetVariables)

I understand the argument for making --set a flag shorthand, but I don't think I agree with doing so. Typically the shorthand for flags are one letter and intended to be stable for the life of the flag. Implementing --set as a separate command allows us to notify users when the behavior is deprecated.

Ah okay I was recommending this with the intent that --set would one day be the alias to --set-values once --set-variables is removed. Given that we plan on removing --set at some point, I would agree with @brandtkeller's assessment that it should be deprecated

I see set marked as deprecated in the package commands but not here in init so I figured id follow up here - do we intend to set this to deprecated as well?

Ah, yes this has an alternative flag so it's meant to be deprecated. Updating

src/cmd/initialize.go

AustinAbro321 · 2025-12-11T13:26:40Z

src/cmd/initialize.go


 	// Init package set variable flags
-	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.setVariables, "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgDeploySet), lang.CmdInitFlagSet)
+	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.setVariables, "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgDeploySet), "Alias for --set-variables")


Rather than having a separate command as an alias that we mark as deprecated or hide, I think it would be better to use the builtin cobra functionality for aliasing a command. This leads to a more intuitive experience around viper config, and will lead to an easier time aliasing --set-values to --set in the future in the event that variables is fully replaced

For instance
cmd.Flags().StringToStringVarP(&o.setVariables, "set-variables", "set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgCreateSet), lang.CmdPackageCreateFlagSetVariables)

AustinAbro321 · 2025-12-11T13:35:41Z

src/cmd/dev.go

-	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.createSetVariables, "create-set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgCreateSet), lang.CmdDevFlagSet)
-	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.deploySetVariables, "deploy-set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgDeploySet), lang.CmdPackageDeployFlagSet)
+	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.createSetVariables, "create-set", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgCreateSet), "Alias for --create-set-variables")
+	cmd.Flags().StringToStringVar(&o.createSetVariables, "create-set-variables", v.GetStringMapString(VPkgCreateSet), lang.CmdDevFlagSetVariables)


IMO we shouldn't add the variables verbiage to create time templates. Generally I think we should refer to these as package templates. I just noticed that Zarf is inconsistent right now since we call them package variables in this flag, and package templates in our docs. Still, I don't think we'll ever have two types of package templates, at least not in the same API version, so I'm not sure extra verbosity is helpful.

I get what you mean now. I updated the cli string verbiage and config structs to package templates / PkgTmpl, but only in the cmd pkg to keep the scope of the PR constrained. This should mean that users will now see "package templates" in the CLI layer, but internally there are still references to CreateSetVariables in dev. This should give us a step towards more consistent handling without trying to solve all of it here.

src/cmd/viper.go

src/cmd/package.go

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

michalszynkiewicz · 2026-01-15T11:49:46Z

Do I understand correctly that we only support overriding values at deployment time and not the packaging time? Or is there a way to override when packaging too?

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp · 2026-01-22T18:17:30Z

@michalszynkiewicz Following up here and from other threads - the values files included in the package definition are intended to be the package defaults, and the set of values the package is created with. Allowing those defaults to be overrided at create-time in a way changes the declarative nature of the package and means you're building a different package than the definition, in a way.

After discussion, we'd be more likely to meet this usecase with more powerful package templates resolved in a pre-processing step. Then you'd be able to programmatically generate different packages from a base package definition e.g zarf.yaml.tmpl, and then run zarf package create on the result once all templates are resolved.

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

Dismissing my review here to not block potential merge before next release

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

brandtkeller

lgtm

…iables (#4466) Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

…iables (zarf-dev#4466) Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com> Signed-off-by: Tim Seagren <timseagren@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp added 2 commits December 10, 2025 10:09

add --set-variables and --create/deploy-set-variables flags and chang…

d6236fc

…e --set description to indicate it's now an alias for this flag Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

make docs-and-schema for new flags

618d0f9

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp self-assigned this Dec 10, 2025

github-project-automation bot added this to Zarf Dec 10, 2025

mkcp added 2 commits December 10, 2025 12:13

add --set-values flags

8b906ba

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

test --set-values in e2e

7edc0e2

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp moved this to In progress in Zarf Dec 10, 2025

mkcp added 3 commits December 10, 2025 12:28

make sure set-values from zarf-conf are merged in correctly in dev cmds

27a1534

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

make docs-and-schema

94718e8

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

Merge branch 'main' into mkcp/migrate-vars-flags

16e01f5

mkcp marked this pull request as ready for review December 10, 2025 20:56

mkcp requested review from a team as code owners December 10, 2025 20:56

brandtkeller requested changes Dec 11, 2025

View reviewed changes

AustinAbro321 previously requested changes Dec 11, 2025

View reviewed changes

mkcp added 2 commits January 14, 2026 13:40

use maps.Copy for --set-values

411cc1d

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mark --set as deprecated

8261452

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp added 3 commits January 15, 2026 10:51

make docs and schema

8c40ef7

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

Merge branch 'main' into mkcp/migrate-vars-flags

dd13266

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

make docs and schema

0520bbf

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp added 4 commits January 22, 2026 10:30

rename create-set-variables to pkg templates in cmd layer

2596f8f

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

make docs-and-schema

f7208be

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

update flags for pkg tmpl

34544a2

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

make docs-and-schema

7f7e634

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

mkcp changed the title ~~Add --set-values flags and migrate --set to alias new --set-variables~~ feat: add --set-values flags and migrate --set to alias new --set-variables Jan 22, 2026

deprecate init --set, use --set-variables

8f04742

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

deprecate --deploy-set

7ae1981

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

deprecate --set on inspect manifest and values-files

9262bcc

Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

brandtkeller approved these changes Jan 22, 2026

View reviewed changes

mkcp added this pull request to the merge queue Jan 22, 2026

github-merge-queue bot pushed a commit that referenced this pull request Jan 22, 2026

feat: add --set-values flags and migrate --set to alias new --set-var…

e8169b1

…iables (#4466) Signed-off-by: Kit Patella <kit@defenseunicorns.com>

github-merge-queue bot removed this pull request from the merge queue due to failed status checks Jan 22, 2026

mkcp added this pull request to the merge queue Jan 22, 2026

Merged via the queue into main with commit 345765d Jan 22, 2026
42 checks passed

mkcp deleted the mkcp/migrate-vars-flags branch January 22, 2026 23:45

github-project-automation bot moved this from In progress to Done in Zarf Jan 22, 2026

AustinAbro321 mentioned this pull request Feb 3, 2026

feat(values): Add --set-values and --set-variables flags #4236

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michalszynkiewicz commented Jan 15, 2026

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