SerializationOptions - add an option to strip string quotes in dict/JSON output

cli/hcl_to_json.py

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument(
         "--no-explicit-blocks",
         action="store_true",
-        help="Disable explicit block markers",
+        help="Disable explicit block markers. Note: round-trip through json_to_hcl is NOT supported with this option.",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--no-preserve-heredocs",
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ def main():
         action="store_true",
         help="Convert scientific notation to standard floats",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--strip-string-quotes",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Strip surrounding double-quotes from serialized string values. Note: round-trip through json_to_hcl is NOT supported with this option.",
+    )
 
     # JSON output formatting
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -106,6 +111,7 @@ def main():
         preserve_heredocs=not args.no_preserve_heredocs,
         force_operation_parentheses=args.force_parens,
         preserve_scientific_notation=not args.no_preserve_scientific,
+        strip_string_quotes=args.strip_string_quotes,
     )
     json_indent = args.json_indent
 

hcl2/deserializer.py

@@ -63,9 +63,15 @@
 class DeserializerOptions:
     """Options controlling how Python dicts are deserialized into LarkElement trees."""
 
+    # Convert heredoc values (<<EOF...EOF) to regular escaped strings during
+    # deserialization. When False, heredoc syntax is preserved as-is.
     heredocs_to_strings: bool = False
+    # Convert multi-line escaped strings (containing \n) back into heredoc
+    # syntax (<<EOF...EOF) during deserialization.
     strings_to_heredocs: bool = False
+    # Use colon (:) instead of equals (=) as the separator in object elements.
     object_elements_colon: bool = False
+    # Append a trailing comma after each object element.
     object_elements_trailing_comma: bool = True
     # with_comments: bool = False # TODO
 

hcl2/formatter.py

@@ -32,12 +32,20 @@
 class FormatterOptions:
     """Options controlling whitespace formatting of LarkElement trees."""
 
+    # Number of spaces per indentation level.
     indent_length: int = 2
+    # Use multi-line format for empty blocks (opening brace on same line,
+    # closing brace on next). When False, empty blocks collapse to "{}".
     open_empty_blocks: bool = True
+    # Use multi-line format for empty objects. When False, empty objects
+    # collapse to "{}".
     open_empty_objects: bool = False
+    # Use multi-line format for empty tuples. When False, empty tuples
+    # collapse to "[]".
     open_empty_tuples: bool = False
-
+    # Pad attribute equals signs so they align vertically within a block body.
     vertically_align_attributes: bool = True
+    # Pad object element equals/colons so they align vertically within an object.
     vertically_align_object_elements: bool = True
 
 

hcl2/rules/strings.py

@@ -92,11 +92,10 @@ def serialize(
         self, options=SerializationOptions(), context=SerializationContext()
     ) -> Any:
         """Serialize to a quoted string."""
-        return (
-            '"'
-            + "".join(part.serialize(options, context) for part in self.string_parts)
-            + '"'
-        )
+        inner = "".join(part.serialize(options, context) for part in self.string_parts)
+        if options.strip_string_quotes:
+            return inner
+        return '"' + inner + '"'
 
 
 class HeredocTemplateRule(LarkRule):
@@ -129,9 +128,13 @@ def serialize(
             heredoc = (
                 heredoc.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace('"', '\\"').replace("\n", "\\n")
             )
+            if options.strip_string_quotes:
+                return heredoc
             return f'"{heredoc}"'
 
         result = heredoc.rstrip(self._trim_chars)
+        if options.strip_string_quotes:
+            return result
         return f'"{result}"'
 
 
@@ -178,4 +181,7 @@ def serialize(
             lines = [line.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace('"', '\\"') for line in lines]
 
         sep = "\\n" if not options.preserve_heredocs else "\n"
-        return '"' + sep.join(lines) + '"'
+        inner = sep.join(lines)
+        if options.strip_string_quotes:
+            return inner
+        return '"' + inner + '"'

hcl2/utils.py

@@ -11,14 +11,31 @@
 class SerializationOptions:
     """Options controlling how LarkElement trees are serialized to Python dicts."""
 
+    # Include __comments__ and __inline_comments__ keys in the output.
     with_comments: bool = True
+    # Add __start_line__ and __end_line__ metadata to each block/attribute.
     with_meta: bool = False
+    # Serialize nested objects as inline HCL strings (e.g. "${{key = value}}")
+    # instead of Python dicts.
     wrap_objects: bool = False
+    # Serialize tuples as inline HCL strings (e.g. "${[1, 2, 3]}")
+    # instead of Python lists.
     wrap_tuples: bool = False
+    # Add __is_block__ markers to distinguish blocks from plain objects.
+    # Note: round-trip through from_dict/dumps is NOT supported WITHOUT this option.
     explicit_blocks: bool = True
+    # Keep heredoc syntax (<<EOF...EOF) in output. When False, heredocs are
+    # converted to regular escaped strings.
     preserve_heredocs: bool = True
+    # Wrap all binary/unary operations in parentheses for explicit precedence.
     force_operation_parentheses: bool = False
+    # Keep scientific notation for floats (e.g. 1e10). When False, expand to
+    # standard decimal form.
     preserve_scientific_notation: bool = True
+    # Remove surrounding double-quotes from serialized string values,
+    # producing backwards-compatible output (e.g. "hello" instead of '"hello"').
+    # Note: round-trip through from_dict/dumps is NOT supported WITH this option.
+    strip_string_quotes: bool = False
 
 
 @dataclass

test/unit/rules/test_strings.py

@@ -159,6 +159,26 @@ def test_serialize_only_interpolation(self):
         rule = _make_string([_make_string_part_interpolation("x")])
         self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(), '"${x}"')
 
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes(self):
+        rule = _make_string([_make_string_part_chars("hello")])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "hello")
+
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_empty(self):
+        rule = _make_string([])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "")
+
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_with_interpolation(self):
+        rule = _make_string(
+            [
+                _make_string_part_chars("prefix:"),
+                _make_string_part_interpolation("var.name"),
+            ]
+        )
+        opts = SerializationOptions(strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "prefix:${var.name}")
+
 
 # --- HeredocTemplateRule tests ---
 
@@ -237,6 +257,18 @@ def test_serialize_no_preserve_invalid_raises(self):
         with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
             rule.serialize(opts)
 
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_preserve(self):
+        token = HEREDOC_TEMPLATE("<<EOF\nhello world\nEOF")
+        rule = HeredocTemplateRule([token])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(preserve_heredocs=True, strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "<<EOF\nhello world\nEOF")
+
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_no_preserve(self):
+        token = HEREDOC_TEMPLATE("<<EOF\nline1\nline2\nEOF")
+        rule = HeredocTemplateRule([token])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(preserve_heredocs=False, strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "line1\\nline2")
+
 
 # --- HeredocTrimTemplateRule tests ---
 
@@ -310,3 +342,15 @@ def test_serialize_no_preserve_invalid_raises(self):
         opts = SerializationOptions(preserve_heredocs=False)
         with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
             rule.serialize(opts)
+
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_preserve(self):
+        token = HEREDOC_TRIM_TEMPLATE("<<-EOF\n    line1\n    line2\nEOF")
+        rule = HeredocTrimTemplateRule([token])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(preserve_heredocs=True, strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "<<-EOF\n    line1\n    line2\nEOF")
+
+    def test_serialize_strip_string_quotes_no_preserve(self):
+        token = HEREDOC_TRIM_TEMPLATE("<<-EOF\n    line1\n    line2\nEOF")
+        rule = HeredocTrimTemplateRule([token])
+        opts = SerializationOptions(preserve_heredocs=False, strip_string_quotes=True)
+        self.assertEqual(rule.serialize(opts), "line1\\nline2")

test/unit/test_api.py

@@ -59,6 +59,26 @@ def test_block_parsing(self):
         result = loads(BLOCK_HCL)
         self.assertIn("resource", result)
 
+    def test_strip_string_quotes(self):
+        result = loads(
+            BLOCK_HCL,
+            serialization_options=SerializationOptions(
+                strip_string_quotes=True, explicit_blocks=False
+            ),
+        )
+        resource_list = result["resource"]
+        self.assertEqual(len(resource_list), 1)
+        block = resource_list[0]
+        # Block label should have no surrounding quotes
+        self.assertIn("aws_instance", block)
+        inner = block["aws_instance"]
+        self.assertIn("example", inner)
+        body = inner["example"]
+        # Attribute value should have no surrounding quotes
+        self.assertEqual(body["ami"], "abc-123")
+        # No __is_block__ marker
+        self.assertNotIn("__is_block__", body)
+
 
 class TestLoad(TestCase):
     def test_from_file(self):