cdktf synth --hcl generates invalid remote backend config with "workspaces = " instead of a block

TL;DR

After cdktf synth --hcl, edit the generated backend config: change workspaces = { to workspaces { (remove the =). Then terraform init will accept it.

The error

cdktf synth --hcl generates:

workspaces = {
  name = "test-stack"
}

terraform init fails because workspaces must be a block, not an attribute:

workspaces {
  name = "test-stack"
}

Fix it

1. Run cdktf synth --hcl as usual.
2. Open the generated .tf backend configuration.
3. Change workspaces = { to workspaces { (delete the equals sign).
4. Run terraform init and confirm it initializes.

Expected result: init succeeds against the remote backend.

When to use this

• You use cdktf synth --hcl with a remote backend using workspaces
• terraform init fails on the generated backend config

When NOT to use this

• You use the default JSON synth (unaffected)
• The backend uses prefix instead of workspaces (different syntax)

Root cause

The HCL generator does not distinguish block syntax from attribute syntax for workspaces, emitting it as an attribute assignment. Terraform's backend schema requires the block form, so init rejects the generated file. The JSON synth path is unaffected because JSON has no block/attribute distinction.

Edge cases

• Re-synth overwrites your edit; script the sed replacement if you synth often: sed -i 's/workspaces = {/workspaces {/' [file].