# Terraform

Terraform is an infrastructure as code tool that lets you build, change, and version cloud and on-prem resources safely and efficiently.

Working :

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761381451415/30f72645-a015-4a61-be74-77a9496cd619.png align="center")

HashiCorp and the Terraform community have already written **thousands of providers** to manage many different types of resources and services.

The core Terraform workflow consists of three stages:

* **Write:** You define resources, which may be across multiple cloud providers and services. For example, you might create a configuration to deploy an application on virtual machines in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) network with security groups and a load balancer.
    
* **Plan:** Terraform creates an execution plan describing the infrastructure it will create, update, or destroy based on the existing infrastructure and your configuration.
    
* **Apply:** On approval, Terraform performs the proposed operations in the correct order, respecting any resource dependencies. For example, if you update the properties of a VPC and change the number of virtual machines in that VPC, Terraform will recreate the VPC before scaling the virtual machines.
    

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761381597156/1dfb4b33-7816-4415-9c4e-9c829d0e57f7.png align="center")

Download Terraform for Windows

ON Web Browser [https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/install](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/install)

Under **Windows**, select :

Architecture: **64-bit**

It will download a `.zip` file (example: `terraform_1.9.8_windows_`[`amd64.zip`](http://amd64.zip)).

Extract the ZIP File

Right-click on the downloaded ZIP → **Extract All**

Move this `terraform.exe` to a permanent location

for example :

```plaintext
C:\Terraform
```

Add Terraform to System PATH

1. Press **Windows + R**, type `sysdm.cpl` → press **Enter**
    
2. Go to **Advanced** → click **Environment Variables**
    
3. Under **System Variables**, find **Path**, select it → click **Edit**
    
4. Click **New** → add the path where `terraform.exe` is located
    
5. Click **OK**
    
6. Verify Installation
    
7. Open **Command Prompt**
    
    ```plaintext
    terraform -version
    
    # You see
    Terraform v1.13.4
    on windows_386
    ```
    

Why the `.tf` extension itself is needed in Terraform ?

The `.tf` extension tells **Terraform** that the file contains **Terraform configuration code** written in **HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language)** .  
Without the `.tf` extension, Terraform **won’t recognize** the file as part of the configuration it should read and execute .

Create [main.tf](http://main.tf)

```plaintext
terraform {
  required_providers {
    aws = {
      source = "hashicorp/aws"
      version = "6.18.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "aws" {
  region = "ap-south-1"
  ami = "ami-00af95fa354fdb788"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
  tags = {
    Name = "terraform machine"
  }
}
```

Initialize the directory (`terraform init`)

In the folder where [`main.tf`](http://main.tf) lives, run :

```plaintext
terraform init

# you see 
Initializing the backend...
Initializing provider plugins...
- Reusing previous version of hashicorp/aws from the dependency lock file
- Using previously-installed hashicorp/aws v6.18.0

Terraform has been successfully initialized!

You may now begin working with Terraform. Try running "terraform plan" to see
any changes that are required for your infrastructure. All Terraform commands
should now work.

If you ever set or change modules or backend configuration for Terraform,
rerun this command to reinitialize your working directory. If you forget, other
commands will detect it and r                                emind you to do so if necessary.
```

What `terraform init` does:

* Downloads provider plugins (here, `hashicorp/random`) into the local plugin cache.
    
* Sets up the backend (by default that's the local file `terraform.tfstate`).
    
* Prepares the working directory for `plan`/`apply`.
    

Using Terraform with **Git Bash on Windows** is a common setup.

**Install and configure Git on Windows**

Open the official Git website : [https://git-scm.com/install/](https://git-scm.com/install/)

Click **Windows** → download will start → Run the installer

1. Open Git Bash → Configure Git
    
2. ```plaintext
       git config --global user.name "Your Name"
       git config --global user.email "your-email@example.com"
       git config --list
    ```
    
3. ```plaintext
       terraform -v   # If you see a version output, installation is successful.
    ```
    

Create a Terraform Working Directory

```plaintext
mkdir /terraform/project1

cd  /terraform/project1
```

Create the main file :

```plaintext
main.tf
```

Initialize Terraform :

```plaintext
terraform init
```

Write a code in main.tf

```plaintext
vi main.tf

terraform {
  required_providers {
    aws = {
      source  = "hashicorp/aws"
      version = "~> 6.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "aws" {
  region     = "ap-south-1"
  access_key = "**************"
  secret_key = "**************"
}
resource "aws_instance" "e1" {
  ami           = "ami-01760eea5c574eb86"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  tags = {
    Name = "example-instance1"
  }
}
```

See What Terraform Will Create

```plaintext
terraform plan
```

Apply Changes

```plaintext
terraform apply
```

Destroy Resources

```plaintext
terraform destroy
```

**VS Code** is the best way to start working with Terraform because it gives you syntax highlighting, autocompletion, and error checking .

Install VS Code - [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/?dv=win64user](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/?dv=win64user)

Install HashiCorp Terraform Extension in VS Code

* Go to **Extensions .**
    
* Search for **“HashiCorp Terraform”**
    
* Click **Install**
    
* This extension provides:
    
    * Syntax highlighting for `.tf` files
        
    * IntelliSense (auto-completion)
        
    * Terraform CLI integration
        
    * Validation & formatting
        

Configure Terraform in VS Code

Create a new folder

File → Open Folder → terraform-project

Create a new file : **Set** **environment variables**

```plaintext
.env

setx AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
setx AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY
setx AWS_REGION us-west-2
```

open in integrated terminal

```plaintext
# Git bash 

source .env
```

The command `source .env` is used in a Unix-like shell environment to execute the contents of a file, typically named `.env`, within the current shell session. This means that any variables defined in the `.env` file will be loaded as environment variables and become accessible to subsequent commands executed in that same shell.

Create a new folder

New folder → folder name

Inside folder Create a new file for code writing

New file → file name

Select file and write a code in text file

```plaintext
# Terraform settings and provider requirements
terraform {
  required_providers {
    aws = {
      source = "hashicorp/aws"
      version = "6.20.0"
    }
  }
}

# how and where to connect to AWS
provider "aws" {
  region = "ap-south-1"
}

# creates an AWS EC2 instance
 resource "aws_instance" "e1" {
  ami           = "ami-01760eea5c574eb86"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  tags = {
    Name = "example-instance1"
  }
} 
```

After that

open in integrated terminal → Git bash

Path of .tf file

```plaintext
source .env

terraform init

terrafrom vaildate 

terrafrom plan 

terraform apply 

terraform destroy 
```

Terraform Registry :

The **Terraform Registry** is an official website by **HashiCorp** that provides a **central catalog of providers, modules, and examples** that you can use in your Terraform projects .