Make CloudConfigToString a struct receiver function called String

pkg/cloudprovider/provider/vsphere/provider.go

@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ func (p *provider) GetCloudConfig(spec clusterv1alpha1.MachineSpec) (config stri
 		},
 	}
 
-	s, err := vspheretypes.CloudConfigToString(cc)
+	s, err := cc.String()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to convert the cloud-config to string: %w", err)
 	}

pkg/cloudprovider/provider/vsphere/types/cloudconfig.go

@@ -105,6 +105,26 @@ type CloudConfig struct {
 	VirtualCenter map[string]*VirtualCenterConfig
 }
 
+// String converts CloudConfig into its formatted string representation.
+func (c *CloudConfig) String() (string, error) {
+	funcMap := sprig.TxtFuncMap()
+	funcMap["iniEscape"] = ini.Escape
+
+	tpl, err := template.New("cloud-config").Funcs(funcMap).Parse(cloudConfigTpl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse the cloud config template: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := tpl.Execute(buf, c); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to execute cloud config template: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return buf.String(), nil
+}
+
+// CloudConfigToString converts CloudConfig into its formatted string representation.
+// Deprecated: use struct receiver function String() instead.
 func CloudConfigToString(c *CloudConfig) (string, error) {
 	funcMap := sprig.TxtFuncMap()
 	funcMap["iniEscape"] = ini.Escape

pkg/cloudprovider/provider/vsphere/types/cloudconfig_test.go

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func TestCloudConfigToString(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			s, err := CloudConfigToString(test.config)
+			s, err := test.config.String()
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}