any() function (Bicep)

Bicep supports a function named any() that suppresses type check errors. Use the Bicep any() function to cast a value to a type that's compatible with any data type. For example, use the any() function when a property requires a number but you need to provide a string, like '0.5'.

This function doesn't exist in the Azure Resource Manager template runtime. The Bicep any() function only affects compile-time type checking. It doesn't convert values at runtime and isn't emitted into the JSON for an Azure Resource Manager template.

Syntax for the Bicep any() function

any(value)

Returns a value that's compatible with any Bicep data type.

Namespace: sys.

Parameters

Return value

The value in a form that's compatible with any data type in Bicep.

Examples

The following example shows how to use the Bicep any() function to provide numeric values as strings.

resource wpAci 'Microsoft.ContainerInstance/containerGroups@2023-05-01' = {
  name: 'wordpress-containerinstance'
  location: location
  properties: {
    containers: [
      {
        name: 'wordpress'
        properties: {
          ...
          resources: {
            requests: {
              cpu: any('0.5')
              memoryInGB: any('0.7')
            }
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

The function works on any assigned value in Bicep. The following example uses the Bicep any() function with a ternary expression as an argument.

publicIPAddress: any((pipId == '') ? null : {
  id: pipId
})

Next steps

For more complex uses of the any() function, see the following examples:

• Child resources that require a specific names
• A resource property not defined in the resource's type, even though it exists