macOS
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brew install cfn-formatlocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install cfn-format with Homebrew
Command-line tool for formatting AWS CloudFormation templates. Version 1.24.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-23.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Command-line tool for formatting AWS CloudFormation templates
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cfn-format
history
Project history and usage
cfn-format is the Homebrew-packaged command built from the AWS CloudFormation rain repository's `cmd/cfn-format`, focused on checking and formatting AWS CloudFormation templates.
Project history
The upstream rain repository was created in 2019 and describes rain as a development workflow tool for AWS CloudFormation templates and stacks. Its README lists consistent formatting of CloudFormation templates as a key feature of `rain fmt`, including JSON/YAML conversion and YAML comment preservation.
Adoption history
Homebrew packages `cfn-format` separately from rain, building the `./cmd/cfn-format` target from the rain source repository. This gives package users a narrower formatter binary without installing the broader rain workflow CLI name.
How it is used
The Homebrew formula test runs `cfn-format -v test.template` and expects a formatted-ok message. The rain README documents the broader formatter behavior under `rain fmt`.
Why package nerds care
cfn-format is package-nerd-interesting because it exposes one subcommand-sized slice of a larger CloudFormation workflow tool as its own formula, the kind of tiny binary split that helps scripts depend on exactly the formatter they need.
Timeline
- 2019: rain GitHub repository metadata records public repository creation.
- 2019: GitHub release metadata records rain v0.1.0.
- 2026: Homebrew formula builds cfn-format from rain v1.24.4.
Related projects
- rain is the upstream project and broader CloudFormation workflow CLI.
- cfn-flip is the older AWS Labs converter whose CLI usage now points users to `rain fmt`.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: orange
infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.
Risk classifier
orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure
Why
- infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal
Signals
- text:cloud
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cfn-format | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-07
manager version1.24.4
manager updated2026-04-23
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.24.4
https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/rain
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cfn-format |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.24.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cfn-format |
| Homepage | https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/rain |
| Repository | https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/rain |
| Upstream docs | https://aws-cloudformation.github.io/rain/rain_fmt.html |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/rain/archive/refs/tags/v1.24.4.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-04-23T17:45:52Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Build dependencies | go |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | cfn-format |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment