> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ahasunos.gitbook.io/elog/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ahasunos.gitbook.io/elog/00-inspec/03-anatomy-of-controls.md).

# Anatomy of Controls

InSpec expresses expectations about the state of the target system through resources expressed as controls.

* **resources** with defaults, required, optional parameters, and filters.
* **individual tests** with properties, conditions, matchers, and expected results.

## Resources

InSpec resources map platform concepts to code objects

* default value
* required parameters
* optional parameters
* resources with filters

Example of a resource:

* `http("https://docs.chef.io/").status`
* `user.username`

## Controls

InSpec controls express expectations about the state of the resources on our system.

* properties
* conditions
* matchers
* expected results

## Sample Control

```
describe package('git) do
    it { should be_installed }
    its('version) { should cmp '1.8' }
end
```

## Components of Controls

Controls has

* Properties like: `baseurl, version, status`
* Conditions like `should, should_not`
* Matchers like: `exist, eq, be_installed, cmp`
* Expected results: the result we expect

## Anatomy of Controls

```
describe resource('name', param: value) do
    it { should exist }
    it { should_not be_nil }
end

describe resources('name').where { ... } do
    its('property') { should cmp expected }
end
```