Terraform Associate

Terraform Associate

Quick Start

When working on Terraform tasks:

1. Always run terraform fmt to ensure consistent formatting.
2. Validate configurations using terraform validate.
3. Use modules to keep the code DRY (Do Not Repeat Yourself).
4. Keep the code simple and readable.
5. Never hardcode secrets; use variables or secret managers.

Best Practices

• State Management: Ensure state is stored remotely (e.g., S3, Terraform Cloud) and locked (e.g., DynamoDB) to prevent concurrent modifications.
• Variables: Use variables.tf for inputs and outputs.tf for outputs. Provide descriptions and types for all variables.
• Naming Conventions: Use snake_case for resource names and keep them descriptive.
• Resource Targeting: Avoid using -target unless absolutely necessary.
• Plan Before Apply: Always generate and review a plan (terraform plan) before applying changes.

Review Checklist

• Code is formatted (terraform fmt)
• Code is valid (terraform validate)
• No hardcoded secrets or credentials
• Variables have types and descriptions
• Remote state backend is configured
• Provider versions are pinned
• Resources are appropriately tagged

Providing Feedback

Format feedback as:

• 🔴 Critical: Must fix before apply (e.g., hardcoded secrets, state issues)
• 🟡 Suggestion: Consider improving (e.g., extracting to a module)
• 🟢 Nice to have: Optional enhancement (e.g., adding more descriptive tags)