What is the purpose of the terraform plan command?

The purpose of the terraform plan command is to generate an execution plan, allowing users to preview what changes Terraform will make to the infrastructure before any actual modifications are applied. When you run this command, it compares the current state of your infrastructure with the desired configuration defined in your Terraform files. This helps to identify what actions will be taken—such as resource creation, modification, or deletion.

By generating a plan, Terraform provides a detailed view of the proposed changes, including the resources that will be impacted, which makes it easier for users to review and confirm that the intended actions align with their expectations. This feature acts as a safeguard, helping to prevent unintentional configuration changes and ensuring a clearer understanding of the implications of the upcoming changes.

The other choices refer to actions that terraform does not specifically address with the plan command. Applying changes is done with a different command; formatting and validation are separate functions that clean or check the configuration files without providing a preview of changes to the infrastructure.