An approach I use is splitting my config tools into 2 stages Stage 1 creates a "explicit" config that can be exported to plaintext that contains exactly what i

An approach I use is splitting my config tools into 2 stages Stage 1 creates a "explicit" config that can be exported to plaintext that contains exactly what is going to be created/modified with no abstraction/simplification Stage 2 applies the "explicit" config You get to be as clever as you want in stage 1 to avoid excessive copy pasting or not being able to know what your tool is going to do because all you have to go on is some homegrown DSL