The main point of the cdk.json file is to specify the entry point for your application. As referenced in the provided article, it mentions the following about cdk.json:
cdk.json instructs the toolkit on how to execute your application. In our scenario, it will be "npx ts-node bin/cdk-workshop.ts"
Clarifications:
Now, once I transfer my code from the /bin directory to the /lib directory, how can I recreate the bin/cdk-workshop.ts file?
Simply put, cdk init is essentially a tool that assists developers in setting up the initial project structure. This generation process occurs only once. There's no need to regenerate the file; you can simply make edits to it. The reason for its significance as the starting point is because it initializes an instance of App and generates instances of Stacks. Furthermore, you have the flexibility to name this file as per your preference.
For instance, instead of the conventional setup, you could create a new folder named entrypoint parallel to both bin and lib. Within this folder, establish a new file titled startup.ts
Here's a sample snippet for startup.ts:
import * as cdk from '@aws-cdk/core';
import { MyCoolStack} from '../lib/my-cool-stack';
import { MyLameStack} from '../lib/my-lame-stack';
const app = new cdk.App();
new MyCoolStack(app, 'MyCoolStack', {});
new MyLameStack(app, 'MyLameStack', {});
Subsequently, there are two approaches to define this file as the entry point.
Inline
cdk synth --app "npx ts node entrypoint/startup.ts"
Alternatively through cdk.json:
{
"app":"npx ts node entrypoint/startup.ts"
}
Note: While my background primarily involves working with C# for cdk applications rather than TypeScript, these insights are based on my understanding of how it functions within a C# context.