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

The 'terraform plan' command is essential in the Terraform workflow as it allows users to preview the changes that will be made to their infrastructure before they're executed. This command compares the current state of the infrastructure with the desired state defined in the Terraform configuration files. By producing a detailed plan of what actions will be carried out, such as creating, modifying, or destroying resources, it helps users validate their intentions and prevents potential mistakes in the deployment process. This proactive checking for differences between the desired configuration and the actual infrastructure state is critical for ensuring that modifications are safe and well-understood.

While there are commands in Terraform that handle applying changes to the infrastructure or deleting unused resources, these actions occur after the planning phase and require confirmation of the planned changes. The generation of a new configuration file is not directly linked to the 'terraform plan' command, as this command focuses on analyzing and reporting rather than creating or modifying configuration files. Understanding the role of 'terraform plan' is vital for effective and safe infrastructure management using Terraform.