Config output rendering

Kubescape can now render cached configuration values in multiple output formats so operators can inspect the active configuration in the format that best fits their workflow.

Why this matters

The configuration view command previously printed the cached JSON payload directly. That worked for machine-oriented use cases, but it was harder to inspect interactively when you wanted a quick summary or a YAML-friendly representation.

The new output support adds:

• human-readable text output for terminal use
• JSON output for automation and scripts
• YAML output for environments that already consume YAML manifests
• an optional flag to include empty values when you need a more complete schema-like view

Supported formats

The command accepts the following values with the --output flag:

• text (default): a compact, human-readable block of key: value entries
• json: a JSON object with the current config fields
• yaml: a YAML mapping with the current config fields

Examples

Default text output

kubescape config view

Example output:

accountID: 1234567890
cloudAPIURL: https://api.example.com
cloudReportURL: https://report.example.com

JSON output

kubescape config view -o json

Example output:

{
  "accountID": "1234567890",
  "cloudAPIURL": "https://api.example.com",
  "cloudReportURL": "https://report.example.com"
}

YAML output

kubescape config view -o yaml

Example output:

accountID: 1234567890
cloudAPIURL: https://api.example.com
cloudReportURL: https://report.example.com

Include empty values

If you want the output to preserve the full field structure, including empty values, use the --include-empty flag.

kubescape config view -o json --include-empty

Example output:

{
  "accessKey": "",
  "accountID": "1234567890",
  "clusterName": "",
  "cloudAPIURL": "https://api.example.com",
  "cloudReportURL": "https://report.example.com"
}

Command reference

kubescape config view [--format text|json|yaml] [--include-empty]

Flags

• -f, --format: select the rendering format (text, json, yaml)
• -o, --output: alias for --format
• -e, --include-empty: include empty values in the rendered payload

Integration notes

This output formatting is helpful when you want to:

1. inspect the current cached configuration locally
2. pipe the result into another tool or script
3. compare a local cached configuration with a generated YAML or JSON payload
4. debug configuration drift between environments

Output contract

The rendered fields use stable lower camel case names:

• accountID
• clusterName
• cloudReportURL
• cloudAPIURL
• accessKey

accessKey is a credential, so it is rendered masked in every format: only its last four characters are shown, prefixed with **** (a key of eight characters or fewer is masked in full). The command is meant for CI logs and shared terminals, so it never prints the key itself; read the cached configuration file directly if you need the full value.

By default, fields with empty values are not rendered. This keeps terminal output short and avoids noisy structured payloads in scripts that only need configured values.

When --include-empty is set, every supported field is rendered even if its value is empty. This is useful for tools that validate the expected shape of the cached configuration.

The text format renders one key: value pair per line. It is designed for operators reading logs or terminals, not for strict machine parsing.

The json format renders a JSON object. Scripts can read the fields with tools such as jq without depending on the text layout.

The yaml format renders a YAML mapping. This is convenient when comparing the cached values with Kubernetes manifests, Helm values, or other YAML-oriented configuration files.

Unknown output formats return an error instead of falling back to text. This helps automation fail early when a flag value is misspelled.

The command only reads and renders the cached configuration. It does not create, update, delete, or normalize the saved configuration file.

Scripting guidance

For scripts, prefer -o json and check for missing keys explicitly.

For reviews, prefer -o yaml --include-empty so unset fields are visible.

For logs, prefer the default text format because it is compact.

Do not treat omitted fields as deleted configuration values.

Quote shell variables that may contain URLs or access keys.

Use cases

Troubleshooting a missing account ID

When an account ID appears to be missing, you can render the config in a structured format and compare the values across environments.

kubescape config view -o yaml

Preparing automation snippets

You can use JSON output to build scripts that validate that required configuration keys are present before a scan starts.

kubescape config view -o json | jq '.accountID'

Reviewing configuration changes

The text output is ideal for quick human inspection in CI logs or local development shells.

kubescape config view

Notes

• The default output remains compact and easy to read in the terminal.
• Empty values are omitted unless --include-empty is specified.
• The command does not modify your cached configuration; it only renders the current state.

Example walkthrough

A common workflow looks like this:

kubescape config view -o json
kubescape config set accountID <your-account-id>
kubescape config view -o yaml

This sequence lets you verify the current configuration, update it, and then render the result in a structure that is easier to reason about.

Summary

The enhanced configuration view output gives you more flexibility without changing the underlying cached configuration model. Whether you prefer a terminal-friendly text layout or structured JSON or YAML, the command now supports your preferred workflow.