Terraform Plan Narration — Reading and Explaining Output
Learn to read and narrate terraform plan output in English.
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In terraform plan output, what does the symbol '+' before a resource indicate?
In terraform plan output, '+' means the resource will be created. '-' means destroyed, '~' means updated in-place, and '-/+' means destroyed and recreated.
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What does 'forces replacement' mean in a terraform plan?
'Forces replacement' (shown as '-/+') means the attribute change requires destroying and recreating the resource — not an in-place update. This can cause downtime.
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What does '(known after apply)' mean in terraform plan output?
'(known after apply)' means the value is computed by the cloud provider during resource creation (e.g., a generated ID or IP address) and cannot be predicted at plan time.
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What is the meaning of '0 to add, 2 to change, 0 to destroy' in a terraform plan summary?
The plan summary shows: resources to add (create), to change (update in-place), and to destroy. '0, 2, 0' means 2 resources will be updated with no additions or deletions.
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How should you narrate a Terraform plan that destroys a production database?
Destructive changes to production resources must be clearly narrated with the impact: 'destroy', 'production', 'destructive change', 'data loss risk', and a recommendation for careful review.