You probably noticed as you work with the AWS CLI that you can output your results when querying to json, text or table. But wait, how come the comma separated values format (CSV) is not there?
For those in AWS cloud engineering roles who engage with business stakeholders, it should come as no little surprise that business roles in your company are used to the CSV format. I mean, just look at the spreadsheet software Excel, where you easily can (and are expected to) import CSV files for data analysis.
If we look at some of the aws commands (examples: ec2 describe-.., s3 list, rds describe-.. to name a few) in the command line interface, the business purpose to use that output (for fin ops, accounting, development management etc.) for analysis.
So then why are we expected to use the jq program to convert the text output data to CSV?
I am a proponent of simplification. In anything I work with, I want to simplify the steps that do not require any intellectual work (analysis, consideration, deductive analysis). This of course includes converting files between file formats.
Sure, we can use jq but..
Then that leaves the maxim “automation where possible” unaddressed in this context.