Workflow and CLI

Updated Jan 24, 2021 ·

Overview

Terraform work usually follows the same rhythm: write configuration, initialize the working directory, review the plan, apply the changes, and destroy the resources when they are no longer needed.

Common Workflow

Step	Command	Purpose
Initialize	terraform init	Downloads providers and prepares the folder.
Format	terraform fmt	Rewrites configuration into standard style.
Validate	terraform validate	Checks syntax and internal consistency.
Plan	terraform plan	Shows the changes Terraform intends to make.
Apply	terraform apply	Creates, updates, or removes resources.
Destroy	terraform destroy	Removes resources managed by the state file.

For more details about each execution command, see Execution.

Workspaces

Workspaces let one configuration keep separate state for multiple environments.

To list all workspaces:

terraform workspace list

To create a new workspace,

terraform workpace  new  <name> 

To select a workspace:

terraform workspace select <name>

Note: Workspaces separate state, but they do not automatically make a design production-ready. Keep environment naming, variables, and backend configuration clear.