Resource arguments and attributes in Terraform - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What are resource arguments in Terraform?

Resource arguments are the input settings you provide to define how a resource should be created or configured. They tell Terraform what you want the resource to look like.

beginner

What are resource attributes in Terraform?

Resource attributes are the output values that Terraform provides after creating a resource. They show details about the resource, like its ID or IP address.

beginner

Example: In a Terraform AWS instance resource, what is an argument and what is an attribute?

Argument: 'ami' (the image ID to use)<br>Attribute: 'public_ip' (the IP address assigned after creation)

intermediate

Why should you not hardcode resource attributes as arguments in Terraform?

Because attributes are outputs from Terraform after resource creation, hardcoding them as inputs can cause errors or conflicts. Instead, use references to attributes dynamically.

intermediate

How can you use resource attributes in other resources?

You can reference attributes from one resource as arguments in another by using the syntax: resource_type.resource_name.attribute_name. This links resources together.

In Terraform, what does a resource argument do?

A Defines how the resource should be created

B Shows the resource's ID after creation

C Deletes the resource

D Runs Terraform commands

Resource arguments tell Terraform what settings to use when creating a resource.

Which of the following is a resource attribute?

A ami

B instance_type

C public_ip

D tags

'public_ip' is an attribute output by Terraform after creating the resource.

How do you reference an attribute from another resource in Terraform?

A resource_type.resource_name.attribute_name

B resource_type.attribute_name.resource_name

C attribute_name.resource_name

D resource_name.attribute_name

The correct syntax is resource_type.resource_name.attribute_name.

Why should you avoid hardcoding resource attributes as arguments?

A It makes Terraform run faster

B Attributes are outputs and may change, causing errors if hardcoded

C Terraform does not allow arguments

D It is required by Terraform syntax

Hardcoding attributes can cause errors because they are outputs that may change.

Which is an example of a resource argument in an AWS instance resource?

A public_ip

B id

C private_dns

D ami

'ami' is an argument specifying the image to use for the instance.

Explain the difference between resource arguments and resource attributes in Terraform.

Think about inputs versus outputs in resource creation.

How can you use resource attributes to connect resources in Terraform?

Consider how outputs from one resource become inputs for another.