What is the purpose of the 'terraform fmt' command?

The 'terraform fmt' command is designed specifically to format Terraform configuration files to ensure they adhere to a canonical style. This command normalizes and beautifies the code, making it more readable and consistent across a codebase. Using 'terraform fmt' is important for maintaining best practices in coding style, which can enhance collaboration among teams and improve overall maintainability of the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) files.

While other commands serve different functions, such as validating syntax or generating documentation, 'terraform fmt' focuses solely on formatting, ensuring that the code follows the conventions set by Terraform. This helps eliminate discrepancies that could arise when different developers have varying styles, allowing for a cohesive code standard across projects.