If you've been messing around with Monokle or Monokle Cloud, then you've probably grown pretty familiar with YAML and Helm, after all, they are our favorite things. We love YAML, so you don't have to, but why shouldn't you? We're here to make configuring your manifests as easy as possible, and to add to the power that Monokle gives you to catch misconfigurations, we'll fill in any knowledge gaps you have about both YAML and Helm! 

So, let's start off with the easy questions first: 

What are Helm Charts?

Helm Charts are a packaging format used to deploy applications and services onto a Kubernetes cluster. They are essentially templates that describe how to install, configure, and run a set of Kubernetes resources. Helm Charts are written in YAML, just like Kubernetes manifests, but they are organized in a way that makes them easy to manage, version, and share.

What is YAML?

YAML stands for "YAML Ain't Markup Language." It is a human-readable data serialization language that is often used for configuration files and data exchange between languages. YAML is often used in Kubernetes to define objects and their properties in a readable and concise way.

To convert a YAML file to a Helm chart, you need to create a Chart.yaml file that describes the chart and its dependencies. Then, you need to create a templates directory and move the YAML files into that directory. Finally, you need to update the YAML files to use Helm's templating syntax and replace any hardcoded values with variables. Once you have done this, you can package the chart using the helm package command and deploy it to your Kubernetes cluster using the helm install command.

So, How do I convert a YAML file to a HELM chart?

1. Start by creating a Chart.yaml file that describes the chart and its dependencies. This file should include the chart name, version, description, and other metadata. You can also specify any dependencies that the chart needs to function properly.
2. Create a templates directory and move the YAML files into that directory. This directory will contain the templates for the Kubernetes resources that the chart will install.
3. Update the YAML files to use Helm's templating syntax. This means replacing any hardcoded values with variables that will be populated at install time. Helm uses Go templates for its templating syntax, which allows you to define variables and use control structures like loops and conditionals.
4. Package the chart using the helm package command. This will create a .tgz file that contains the chart metadata and templates.
5. Deploy the chart to your Kubernetes cluster using the helm install command. This will create the Kubernetes resources defined in the chart and set any values you specified at install time.

By following these steps, you can easily convert a YAML file into a Helm chart and deploy it to your Kubernetes cluster.