Output formats (json, table, tsv) in Azure - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ service_behavior

intermediate

Azure CLI output format behavior

When you run the Azure CLI command az vm list --output json, what is the format of the output you receive?

A A plain text table with columns for VM properties.

B A tab-separated values (TSV) list with VM names only.

C An XML document describing the virtual machines.

D A JSON array containing objects representing each virtual machine.

💡 Hint

Think about what the 'json' output format means in Azure CLI.

The 'json' output format returns data as a JSON array with detailed objects for each VM, suitable for programmatic use.

❓ service_behavior

intermediate

Azure CLI table output format characteristics

What does the Azure CLI command az vm list --output table display?

A A CSV file download of VM data.

B A JSON array with detailed VM information.

C A formatted table with columns and rows showing VM properties in a readable way.

D A list of VM names separated by commas.

💡 Hint

The 'table' output is designed for easy reading in the terminal.

The 'table' format shows a human-friendly table with columns and rows summarizing VM info.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

Azure CLI TSV output format usage

If you run az vm list --output tsv, what is the expected output format?

A A tab-separated list of VM properties with headers, suitable for scripting.

B A formatted table with headers and borders.

C A JSON object with nested VM details.

D An HTML table showing VM information.

💡 Hint

TSV means values separated by tabs, often used in scripts.

The 'tsv' output is a plain text format with values separated by tabs, including headers, ideal for scripts.

🧠 Conceptual

advanced

Choosing output format for automation scripts

You want to automate processing Azure VM data in a script that parses output easily. Which Azure CLI output format is best?

A None, because Azure CLI does not support output formats.

B JSON, because it provides structured data easy to parse programmatically.

C TSV, because it includes headers and formatting.

D Table, because it is easy to read for humans.

💡 Hint

Think about which format scripts can parse without extra work.

JSON is structured and widely supported for parsing in scripts, unlike table or TSV which may require extra parsing logic.

❓ security

expert

Security implications of output formats in Azure CLI

Which output format should you avoid when displaying sensitive Azure resource information in a shared terminal session to reduce risk of accidental exposure?

A JSON, because it shows full structured details including secrets or keys if present.

B Table, because it shows summarized info that might omit sensitive details.

C TSV, because it hides sensitive data by default.

D None, all output formats automatically mask sensitive data.

💡 Hint

Consider which format reveals the most raw data.

JSON output often includes all data fields, including sensitive ones, so it should be handled carefully in shared environments.