Add literal_value grammar rule for true, false, and null

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## \[Unreleased\]
 
-- Nothing yet.
+### Fixed
+
+- `true`, `false`, and `null` now serialize to native JSON types instead of strings. ([#293](https://github.com/amplify-education/python-hcl2/issues/293))
 
 ## \[8.1.1\] - 2026-04-07
 

hcl2/deserializer.py

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     IdentifierRule,
     IntLitRule,
     FloatLitRule,
+    LiteralValueRule,
 )
 from hcl2.rules.strings import (
     StringRule,
@@ -55,6 +56,9 @@
     HEREDOC_TRIM_TEMPLATE,
     HEREDOC_TEMPLATE,
     COLON,
+    TRUE,
+    FALSE,
+    NULL,
 )
 from hcl2.transformer import RuleTransformer
 from hcl2.utils import HEREDOC_TRIM_PATTERN, HEREDOC_PATTERN
@@ -152,7 +156,12 @@ def _deserialize_block_elements(self, value: dict) -> List[LarkElement]:
     def _deserialize_text(self, value: Any) -> LarkRule:
         # bool must be checked before int since bool is a subclass of int
         if isinstance(value, bool):
-            return self._deserialize_identifier(str(value).lower())
+            if value:
+                return LiteralValueRule([TRUE()])
+            return LiteralValueRule([FALSE()])
+
+        if value is None:
+            return LiteralValueRule([NULL()])
 
         if isinstance(value, float):
             return FloatLitRule([FloatLiteral(value)])

hcl2/hcl2.lark

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ ELSE : "else"
 ENDIF : "endif"
 ENDFOR : "endfor"
 
+// Literal value keywords
+NULL : "null"
+TRUE : "true"
+FALSE : "false"
 
 // Literals
 NAME : /[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*/
@@ -94,7 +98,7 @@ start : body
 // Body and basic constructs
 body : (new_line_or_comment? (attribute | block))* new_line_or_comment?
 attribute : _attribute_name EQ expression
-_attribute_name : identifier | keyword
+_attribute_name : identifier | keyword | literal_value
 block : identifier (identifier | string)* new_line_or_comment? LBRACE body RBRACE
 
 // Whitespace and comments
@@ -103,6 +107,7 @@ new_line_or_comment: ( NL_OR_COMMENT )+
 // Basic literals and identifiers
 identifier : NAME
 keyword: IN | FOR | IF | FOR_EACH | ELSE | ENDIF | ENDFOR
+literal_value: TRUE | FALSE | NULL
 int_lit: INT_LITERAL
 float_lit: FLOAT_LITERAL
 string: DBLQUOTE string_part* DBLQUOTE
@@ -189,6 +194,7 @@ expr_term : LPAR new_line_or_comment? expression new_line_or_comment? RPAR
             | tuple
             | object
             | identifier
+            | literal_value
             | function_call
             | heredoc_template
             | heredoc_template_trim
@@ -223,7 +229,7 @@ full_splat_expr_term : expr_term full_splat
 ?index : braces_index | short_index
 braces_index : LSQB new_line_or_comment? expression new_line_or_comment? RSQB
 short_index : DOT INT_LITERAL
-get_attr : DOT identifier
+get_attr : DOT (identifier | literal_value)
 attr_splat : ATTR_SPLAT (get_attr | index)*
 full_splat : FULL_SPLAT_START (get_attr | index)*
 

hcl2/reconstructor.py

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     TemplateEndforRule,
 )
 from hcl2.rules.for_expressions import ForIntroRule, ForTupleExprRule, ForObjectExprRule
-from hcl2.rules.literal_rules import IdentifierRule
+from hcl2.rules.literal_rules import IdentifierRule, LiteralValueRule
 from hcl2.rules.strings import StringRule
 from hcl2.rules.expressions import (
     ExprTermRule,
@@ -228,9 +228,11 @@ def _should_add_space_before(
                 if rule_name in [
                     StringRule.lark_name(),
                     IdentifierRule.lark_name(),
+                    LiteralValueRule.lark_name(),
                 ] and self._last_rule_name in [
                     StringRule.lark_name(),
                     IdentifierRule.lark_name(),
+                    LiteralValueRule.lark_name(),
                 ]:
                     return True
 

hcl2/rules/literal_rules.py

@@ -33,6 +33,26 @@ def lark_name() -> str:
         return "keyword"
 
 
+class LiteralValueRule(TokenRule):
+    """Rule for HCL2 literal value keywords (true, false, null)."""
+
+    _SERIALIZE_MAP = {"true": True, "false": False, "null": None}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def lark_name() -> str:
+        """Return the grammar rule name."""
+        return "literal_value"
+
+    def serialize(
+        self, options=SerializationOptions(), context=SerializationContext()
+    ) -> Any:
+        """Serialize to Python True, False, or None."""
+        value = self.token.value
+        if context.inside_dollar_string:
+            return str(value)
+        return self._SERIALIZE_MAP.get(str(value), str(value))
+
+
 class IdentifierRule(TokenRule):
     """Rule for HCL2 identifiers."""
 

hcl2/rules/strings.py

@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ def serialize(
         self, options=SerializationOptions(), context=SerializationContext()
     ) -> Any:
         """Serialize to ${expression} string."""
-        return to_dollar_string(self.expression.serialize(options, context))
+        with context.modify(inside_dollar_string=True):
+            return to_dollar_string(self.expression.serialize(options, context))
 
 
 class StringPartRule(LarkRule):

hcl2/rules/tokens.py

@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ def serialize_conversion(self) -> Callable[[Any], str]:
 ELSE = StaticStringToken[("ELSE", "else")]  # type: ignore
 ENDIF = StaticStringToken[("ENDIF", "endif")]  # type: ignore
 ENDFOR = StaticStringToken[("ENDFOR", "endfor")]  # type: ignore
+TRUE = StaticStringToken[("TRUE", "true")]  # type: ignore
+FALSE = StaticStringToken[("FALSE", "false")]  # type: ignore
+NULL = StaticStringToken[("NULL", "null")]  # type: ignore
 
 # pylint: enable=invalid-name
 

hcl2/transformer.py

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     IdentifierRule,
     BinaryOperatorRule,
     KeywordRule,
+    LiteralValueRule,
 )
 from hcl2.rules.strings import (
     InterpolationRule,
@@ -133,8 +134,9 @@ def block(self, meta: Meta, args) -> BlockRule:
 
     @v_args(meta=True)
     def attribute(self, meta: Meta, args) -> AttributeRule:
-        # _attribute_name is flattened, so args[0] may be KeywordRule or IdentifierRule
-        if isinstance(args[0], KeywordRule):
+        # _attribute_name is flattened, so args[0] may be KeywordRule,
+        # LiteralValueRule, or IdentifierRule
+        if isinstance(args[0], (KeywordRule, LiteralValueRule)):
             args[0] = IdentifierRule([NAME(args[0].token.value)], meta)
         return AttributeRule(args, meta)
 
@@ -154,6 +156,10 @@ def identifier(self, meta: Meta, args) -> IdentifierRule:
     def keyword(self, meta: Meta, args) -> KeywordRule:
         return KeywordRule(args, meta)
 
+    @v_args(meta=True)
+    def literal_value(self, meta: Meta, args) -> LiteralValueRule:
+        return LiteralValueRule(args, meta)
+
     @v_args(meta=True)
     def int_lit(self, meta: Meta, args) -> IntLitRule:
         return IntLitRule(args, meta)
@@ -333,8 +339,18 @@ def object_elem_key(self, meta: Meta, args):
         if isinstance(expr, ExprTermRule) and len(expr.children) == 5:
             inner = expr.children[2]  # position 2 in [None, None, inner, None, None]
             if isinstance(
-                inner, (IdentifierRule, StringRule, IntLitRule, FloatLitRule)
+                inner,
+                (
+                    IdentifierRule,
+                    StringRule,
+                    IntLitRule,
+                    FloatLitRule,
+                    LiteralValueRule,
+                ),
             ):
+                # Convert literal_value to identifier for dict key compatibility
+                if isinstance(inner, LiteralValueRule):
+                    inner = IdentifierRule([NAME(inner.token.value)], meta)
                 return ObjectElemKeyRule([inner], meta)
         # Any other expression (parenthesized or bare)
         return ObjectElemKeyExpressionRule([expr], meta)
@@ -361,6 +377,10 @@ def short_index(self, meta: Meta, args) -> ShortIndexRule:
 
     @v_args(meta=True)
     def get_attr(self, meta: Meta, args) -> GetAttrRule:
+        # Convert literal_value (true/false/null) to identifier in attr access
+        if len(args) >= 2 and isinstance(args[1], LiteralValueRule):
+            args = list(args)
+            args[1] = IdentifierRule([NAME(args[1].token.value)], meta)
         return GetAttrRule(args, meta)
 
     @v_args(meta=True)

test/integration/hcl2_original/smoke.tf

@@ -38,6 +38,19 @@ block label1 label2 {
   l = a.*.b
   m = a[*][c].a.*.1
 
+  n = [
+    null,
+    "null"
+  ]
+  o = [
+    true,
+    "true"]
+
+  p = [
+    false,
+    "false"
+  ]
+
   block b1 {
     a = 1
   }

test/integration/hcl2_reconstructed/smoke.tf

@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ block label1 label2 {
   k = a.b.5
   l = a.*.b
   m = a[*][c].a.*.1
+  n = [
+    null,
+    "null",
+  ]
+  o = [
+    true,
+    "true",
+  ]
+  p = [
+    false,
+    "false",
+  ]
 
   block b1 {
     a = 1

test/integration/json_reserialized/nulls.json

@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
     "unary": "${!null}",
     "binary": "${(a == null)}",
     "tuple": [
-      "null",
+      null,
       1,
       2
     ],
-    "single": "null",
+    "single": null,
     "conditional": "${null ? null : null}"
   }
 }

test/integration/json_reserialized/smoke.json

@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@
      "k": "${a.b.5}",
      "l": "${a.*.b}",
      "m": "${a[*][c].a.*.1}",
+     "n": [
+      null,
+      "\"null\""
+     ],
+     "o": [
+      true,
+      "\"true\""
+     ],
+     "p": [
+      false,
+      "\"false\""
+     ],
      "block": [
       {
        "b1": {

test/integration/json_serialized/nulls.json

@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
     "unary": "${!null}",
     "binary": "${(a == null)}",
     "tuple": [
-      "null",
+      null,
       1,
       2
     ],
-    "single": "null",
+    "single": null,
     "conditional": "${null ? null : null}"
   }
 }

test/integration/json_serialized/smoke.json

@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@
      "k": "${a.b.5}",
      "l": "${a.*.b}",
      "m": "${a[*][c].a.*.1}",
+     "n": [
+      null,
+      "\"null\""
+     ],
+     "o": [
+      true,
+      "\"true\""
+     ],
+     "p": [
+      false,
+      "\"false\""
+     ],
      "block": [
       {
        "b1": {

test/integration/specialized/builder_basic_reparsed.json

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
   "locals": [
     {
       "port": 8080,
-      "enabled": "true",
+      "enabled": true,
       "name": "\"my-app\"",
       "__is_block__": true
     }

test/integration/specialized/builder_basic_reserialized.json

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
   "locals": [
     {
       "port": 8080,
-      "enabled": "true",
+      "enabled": true,
       "name": "\"my-app\"",
       "__is_block__": true
     }

test/integration/specialized/comments.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
             "Name": "\"web\"",
             "Env": "\"prod\""
           },
-          "enabled": "true",
+          "enabled": true,
           "nested": [
             {
               "key": "\"value\"",