Variables

Variables store configuration values that can be referenced throughout your HCL files.

Defining Variables

variable "api_key" {
  secret = true  # Mask value in output
}
 
variable "app_name" {
  default = "myapp"  # Optional default value
}
 
variable "max_retries" {
  default = 3
}

Attributes

Setting Values

Use the CLI to set variable values:

squadron vars set api_key sk-ant-...
squadron vars set app_name production-app

Values are encrypted at rest in .squadron/vars.vault. The vault is initialized automatically the first time you run squadron engage.

Referencing Variables

Use vars.name to reference a variable:

model "anthropic" {
  api_key = vars.api_key
}
 
agent "assistant" {
  personality = "Assistant for ${vars.app_name}"
}

Resolution Order

1. Value set via squadron vars set (encrypted in .squadron/vars.vault)
2. Default value from variable block
3. Error if neither exists

Best Practices

Secrets

Always mark sensitive values as secrets:

variable "anthropic_api_key" {
  secret = true
}
 
variable "database_password" {
  secret = true
}

Defaults for Non-Sensitive Values

Provide defaults for convenience:

variable "environment" {
  default = "development"
}
 
variable "log_level" {
  default = "info"
}

Naming Convention

Use snake_case for variable names:

variable "anthropic_api_key" { }  # Good
variable "anthropicApiKey" { }    # Avoid