Version control is a critical aspect of managing your Terraform configurations. It allows you to track changes, collaborate with team members, and maintain a history of your infrastructure code. In this section, we will cover the basics of version control, how to use Git with Terraform, and best practices for managing your Terraform code in a version control system.

1. Version Control Systems (VCS): Tools that help you manage changes to your codebase over time. Examples include Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.
2. Repositories: Storage locations for your code, typically hosted on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
3. Commits: Snapshots of your code at a specific point in time.
4. Branches: Parallel versions of your codebase, allowing you to work on different features or fixes simultaneously.
5. Merging: Combining changes from different branches into a single branch.

1. Initialize a Git Repository:

   git init
   

   This command initializes a new Git repository in your current directory.

2. Add Files to the Repository:

   git add .
   

   This command stages all files in the current directory for the next commit.

3. Commit Changes:

   git commit -m "Initial commit"
   

   This command creates a new commit with a message describing the changes.

1. Clone a Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git
   

   This command clones an existing repository to your local machine.

2. Create a New Branch:

   git checkout -b feature-branch
   

   This command creates a new branch named feature-branch and switches to it.

3. Make Changes and Commit:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Added new Terraform configuration"
   

4. Push Changes to Remote Repository:

   git push origin feature-branch
   

5. Merge Changes:

   git checkout main
   git merge feature-branch
   

1. Use a .gitignore File: Create a .gitignore file to exclude files and directories that should not be tracked by Git. For Terraform, this typically includes:

   .terraform/
   *.tfstate
   *.tfstate.*
   crash.log
   

   Example:

   echo ".terraform/" >> .gitignore
   echo "*.tfstate" >> .gitignore
   echo "*.tfstate.*" >> .gitignore
   echo "crash.log" >> .gitignore
   

2. Commit Small, Atomic Changes: Make small, incremental changes and commit them frequently. This makes it easier to track changes and identify issues.

3. Use Descriptive Commit Messages: Write clear and concise commit messages that describe the changes made. This helps others understand the history of the project.

4. Branching Strategy: Use a branching strategy that suits your workflow. Common strategies include Git Flow, GitHub Flow, and trunk-based development.

5. Code Reviews: Implement a code review process to ensure that changes are reviewed by team members before being merged into the main branch.

1. Initialize a Git Repository:

   • Navigate to your Terraform project directory.
   • Initialize a Git repository using git init.

2. Create a .gitignore File:

   • Create a .gitignore file and add the following lines:

     .terraform/
     *.tfstate
     *.tfstate.*
     crash.log
     

3. Make an Initial Commit:

   • Stage all files using git add ..
   • Commit the changes with a message using git commit -m "Initial commit".

4. Create a New Branch:

   • Create a new branch named feature-branch using git checkout -b feature-branch.

5. Make Changes and Commit:

   • Make some changes to your Terraform configuration.
   • Stage and commit the changes with a descriptive message.

6. Push Changes to Remote Repository:

   • Push the changes to a remote repository (e.g., GitHub) using git push origin feature-branch.

In this section, we covered the basics of version control and how to use Git with Terraform. We discussed key concepts, provided a basic Git workflow, and outlined best practices for managing your Terraform code in a version control system. By following these practices, you can ensure that your infrastructure code is well-organized, maintainable, and easy to collaborate on. In the next section, we will explore testing Terraform code to ensure its correctness and reliability.