Chart and Capabilities Objects
Chart metadata and cluster API version checks.
Chart and Capabilities Objects is a free Helm Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Helm Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Two More Built-in Objects
Beyond .Values and .Release, Helm exposes .Chart for chart metadata and .Capabilities for facts about the target cluster.
The Chart Object Mirrors Chart.yaml
.Chart is the contents of Chart.yaml exposed to templates. Every field you wrote there is readable during a render. 📦
Chart Name and Version
.Chart.Name and .Chart.Version give the chart's identity. Version is the chart's own SemVer, bumped each time you publish.
chart: {{ .Chart.Name }}-{{ .Chart.Version }}AppVersion Is Different
.Chart.AppVersion is the version of the app being deployed, not the chart. It often drives the default image tag and labels.
app.kubernetes.io/version: {{ .Chart.AppVersion }}Field Names Are Capitalized
Chart.yaml uses lowercase keys, but the object capitalizes them. You write .Chart.AppVersion even though the file says appVersion.
The Capabilities Object
.Capabilities describes the cluster Helm is talking to: its Kubernetes version and which API groups are available.
Checking the Kubernetes Version
.Capabilities.KubeVersion reports the cluster version. Charts use it to adapt manifests to newer or older Kubernetes releases.
# {{ .Capabilities.KubeVersion.Version }}Testing for an API Version
.Capabilities.APIVersions.Has checks whether an API exists in the cluster, letting you pick the right resource kind safely.
{{ if .Capabilities.APIVersions.Has "networking.k8s.io/v1" }}...{{ end }}Why Capabilities Help Portability
Clusters differ in version and installed APIs. Guarding on .Capabilities lets one chart render correctly across many cluster setups.
Capabilities With helm template
Offline, helm template cannot query a real cluster, so it assumes a default version. Pass --kube-version to simulate a specific target.
helm template ./mychart --kube-version 1.29Use Chart for Labels, Capabilities for Logic
A handy rule: read .Chart when stamping identity onto labels, and check .Capabilities when deciding which manifest shape to emit.
Quick Check
You need to label resources with the version of the application being deployed.
Recap: Chart and Capabilities
You learned .Chart exposes Chart.yaml metadata like Name, Version, and AppVersion, while .Capabilities reports the cluster version and available APIs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Chart and Capabilities Objects” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Chart and Capabilities Objects” is free to read here on the web, and the Helm Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Helm Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Chart and Capabilities Objects”?
Chart metadata and cluster API version checks. You practise Helm Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Helm Academy?
No prior experience is required. Helm Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Chart and Capabilities Objects” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Helm Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Helm Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- The Values Object and Nested Access
- Release Metadata via .Release
- Chart and Capabilities Objects
- Files, Template, and the Root Context