Terraform String Encoding and Decoding with PowerShell

September 21, 2025 05:30PM

This is another script I have written to encode and decode string for Terraform using PowerShell GUI. These scripts helps me in the live demonstrations and PowerPoint to client about infrastructure as a code. Once script is executed in PowerShell GUI, it looks like below, It helps to Base64 Encode given string, In the same GUI, this helps to Decode encoded string back to human readable format string. I find this process very Simple and efficient.

Earlier PowerShell GUI Code: Self-Signed Certificates Made Easy with PowerShell GUI

Download Terraform Encode/Decode String Tool here or it is also available on github.com.

#    .NOTES
#    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#     Generated on:            13-Sep-25 8:15 PM
#     Generated for:           Terrafrorm Encode/Decode String
#     PowerShell Version:      V7
#    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#    .DESCRIPTION
#        vcloud-lab.com Terraform Encode/Decode String

$assemblies = ('System.Windows.Forms', 'System.Data', 'System.Drawing', 'PresentationFramework')
$assemblies | Foreach-Object {[void][reflection.assembly]::Load($_)}
Add-Type -AssemblyName "System.Drawing", "System.Windows.Forms", "System.Data", "System.Design", "PresentationFramework"

[System.Windows.Forms.Application]::EnableVisualStyles()
$formEncodeDecodeString = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Form'
$richtextbox = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.RichTextBox'
$statusstrip = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.StatusStrip'
$picturebox = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox'
$textboxOutput = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.TextBox'
$buttonEncode = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Button'
$radiobuttonDecode = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.RadioButton'
$radiobuttonEncode = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.RadioButton'
$textboxInput = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.TextBox'
$labelStringToEncode = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Label'
$toolstripstatuslabel = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripStatusLabel'
$InitialFormWindowState = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.FormWindowState'

$radiobuttonEncode_CheckedChanged={
    $labelStringToEncode.Text = 'String to Encode:'
    $buttonEncode.Text = 'Encode'
    $textboxInput.Text = 'Password123!'
    $textboxOutput.Text = 'UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh'
}

$radiobuttonDecode_CheckedChanged={
    $labelStringToEncode.Text = 'String to Decode:'
    $buttonEncode.Text = 'Decode'
    $textboxInput.Text = 'UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh'
    $textboxOutput.Text = 'Password123!'
}

$buttonEncode_Click={
    if ($radiobuttonEncode.Checked)
    {
        $originalString = $textboxInput.Text  #"Password123!"
        $bytes = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes($originalString)
        $encodedString = [System.Convert]::ToBase64String($bytes)
        #Write-Host "Encoded String (UTF8): $encodedString"
        $textboxOutput.Text = $encodedString
    }
    
    if ($radiobuttonDecode.Checked)
    {
        $error.Clear()
        try {
            $encodedString = $textboxInput.Text.Trim() #"UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh" # Base64 for "Password123!" (UTF8)
            $decodedBytes = [System.Convert]::FromBase64String($encodedString)
            $decodedString = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString($decodedBytes)
            #Write-Host "Decoded String (UTF8): $decodedString"
            $textboxOutput.Text = $decodedString
        }
        catch {
            $textboxOutput.Text = 'Error: Invalid encoded string provided!'
        }
    }
}

$Form_StateCorrection_Load=
{
    $formEncodeDecodeString.WindowState = $InitialFormWindowState
}

$Form_Cleanup_FormClosed=
{
    try
    {
        $buttonEncode.remove_Click($buttonEncode_Click)
        $radiobuttonDecode.remove_CheckedChanged($radiobuttonDecode_CheckedChanged)
        $radiobuttonEncode.remove_CheckedChanged($radiobuttonEncode_CheckedChanged)
        $formEncodeDecodeString.remove_Load($formEncodeDecodeString_Load)
        $formEncodeDecodeString.remove_Load($Form_StateCorrection_Load)
        $formEncodeDecodeString.remove_FormClosed($Form_Cleanup_FormClosed)
    }
    catch { 
        Out-Null 
    }
    $formEncodeDecodeString.Dispose()
    $labelStringToEncode.Dispose()
    $textboxInput.Dispose()
    $radiobuttonEncode.Dispose()
    $radiobuttonDecode.Dispose()
    $buttonEncode.Dispose()
    $textboxOutput.Dispose()
    $picturebox.Dispose()
    $statusstrip.Dispose()
    $toolstripstatuslabel.Dispose()
    $richtextbox.Dispose()
}

$formEncodeDecodeString.SuspendLayout()
$picturebox.BeginInit()
$statusstrip.SuspendLayout()

$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($richtextbox)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($statusstrip)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($picturebox)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($textboxOutput)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($buttonEncode)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($radiobuttonDecode)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($radiobuttonEncode)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($textboxInput)
$formEncodeDecodeString.Controls.Add($labelStringToEncode)
$formEncodeDecodeString.AutoScaleDimensions = New-Object System.Drawing.SizeF(8, 17)
$formEncodeDecodeString.AutoScaleMode = 'Font'
$formEncodeDecodeString.ClientSize = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(467, 348)
$formEncodeDecodeString.FormBorderStyle = 'FixedDialog'
$formEncodeDecodeString.Name = 'formEncodeDecodeString'
$formEncodeDecodeString.Text = 'Encode/Decode String for Terraform'
$formEncodeDecodeString.add_Load($formEncodeDecodeString_Load)

$richtextbox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(13, 131)
$richtextbox.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$richtextbox.Name = 'richtextbox'
$richtextbox.ReadOnly = $True
$richtextbox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(435, 176)
$richtextbox.TabIndex = 8
$richtextbox.Text = 'How to encode and decode string in Terraform?

To encode string use below function:
base64encode("Password123!")     # Output: UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh

To decode string use below function:
textdecodebase64("UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh")     # Output: Password123!
'
[void]$statusstrip.Items.Add($toolstripstatuslabel)
$statusstrip.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(0, 323)
$statusstrip.Name = 'statusstrip'
$statusstrip.Padding = '1, 0, 19, 0'
$statusstrip.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(467, 25)
$statusstrip.TabIndex = 7
$statusstrip.Text = 'statusstrip'

$ImageString = @"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==
"@
$System_IO_MemoryStream = [System.IO.MemoryStream][System.Convert]::FromBase64String($ImageString)

$picturebox.Image = [System.Drawing.Image]::FromStream($System_IO_MemoryStream)
$System_IO_MemoryStream = $null

$picturebox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(371, 23)
$picturebox.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$picturebox.Name = 'picturebox'
$picturebox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(77, 66)
$picturebox.TabIndex = 6
$picturebox.TabStop = $False

$textboxOutput.Font = [System.Drawing.Font]::new('Microsoft Sans Serif', '12')
$textboxOutput.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(13, 93)
$textboxOutput.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$textboxOutput.Name = 'textboxOutput'
$textboxOutput.ReadOnly = $True
$textboxOutput.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(435, 30)
$textboxOutput.TabIndex = 5
$textboxOutput.Text = 'UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh'
$textboxOutput.TextAlign = 'Center'

$buttonEncode.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(263, 54)
$buttonEncode.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$buttonEncode.Name = 'buttonEncode'
$buttonEncode.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(100, 30)
$buttonEncode.TabIndex = 4
$buttonEncode.Text = 'Encode'
$buttonEncode.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True
$buttonEncode.add_Click($buttonEncode_Click)

$radiobuttonDecode.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(107, 54)
$radiobuttonDecode.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$radiobuttonDecode.Name = 'radiobuttonDecode'
$radiobuttonDecode.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(86, 31)
$radiobuttonDecode.TabIndex = 3
$radiobuttonDecode.Text = 'Decode'
$radiobuttonDecode.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True
$radiobuttonDecode.add_CheckedChanged($radiobuttonDecode_CheckedChanged)

$radiobuttonEncode.Checked = $True
$radiobuttonEncode.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(13, 54)
$radiobuttonEncode.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$radiobuttonEncode.Name = 'radiobuttonEncode'
$radiobuttonEncode.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(86, 31)
$radiobuttonEncode.TabIndex = 2
$radiobuttonEncode.Text = 'Encode'
$radiobuttonEncode.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True
$radiobuttonEncode.add_CheckedChanged($radiobuttonEncode_CheckedChanged)

$textboxInput.ImeMode = 'NoControl'
$textboxInput.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(138, 23)
$textboxInput.Margin = '4, 4, 4, 4'
$textboxInput.Name = 'textboxInput'
$textboxInput.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(225, 23)
$textboxInput.TabIndex = 1
$textboxInput.Text = 'Password123!'

$labelStringToEncode.AutoSize = $True
$labelStringToEncode.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(13, 26)
$labelStringToEncode.Margin = '4, 0, 4, 0'
$labelStringToEncode.Name = 'labelStringToEncode'
$labelStringToEncode.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(117, 17)
$labelStringToEncode.TabIndex = 0
$labelStringToEncode.Text = 'String to Encode:'

$toolstripstatuslabel.Name = 'toolstripstatuslabel'
$toolstripstatuslabel.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(160, 20)
$toolstripstatuslabel.Text = 'Powered by vcloud-lab.com'
$statusstrip.ResumeLayout()
$picturebox.EndInit()
$formEncodeDecodeString.ResumeLayout()

$InitialFormWindowState = $formEncodeDecodeString.WindowState
$formEncodeDecodeString.add_Load($Form_StateCorrection_Load)
$formEncodeDecodeString.add_FormClosed($Form_Cleanup_FormClosed)
$formEncodeDecodeString.ShowDialog() | Out-Null

When working with Terraform you can use below code to encode and decode given string.

locals {
  original_string = "Password123!" // The string you want to encode
  encoded_string  = base64encode(local.original_string)
}

output "encoded_output" {
  value = local.encoded_string
}

########################################################################################

locals {
  existing_encoded_string   = "UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh" // This is "Password123!" Base64 encoded
  decoded_string   = textdecodebase64(local.existing_encoded_string, "UTF-8")
}

output "decoded_output" {
  value = local.decoded_string
}

######################################## Result ###############################################

terraform plan

Changes to Outputs:
  + decoded_output = "Password123!"
  + encoded_output = "UGFzc3dvcmQxMjMh"

You can apply this plan to save these new output values to the Terraform state, without changing any real infrastructure.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Note: You didn't use the -out option to save this plan, so Terraform can't guarantee to take exactly these actions if you run "terraform apply" now.

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