What is the use-case for terraform output?

The use of terraform output is primarily to extract specific information about your resources after an apply operation. When you deploy infrastructure with Terraform, you may want to know certain details about the resources that were created, such as the IP address of a deployed instance, the endpoint of a database, or specific identifiers of cloud resources. Outputs allow you to capture this information defined within your configuration, making it accessible after the infrastructure is provisioned.

This is particularly useful for integrating outputs into other workflows or sharing necessary details with team members. By utilizing output variables, you can effectively communicate essential resource attributes without having to manually query the infrastructure provider. Thus, outputs can streamline processes and improve collaboration.

In contrast, the other options have their own contexts but do not align with the specific purpose of outputs. While debugging configuration errors may be part of working with Terraform, it is not the primary function of outputs. Similarly, displaying the current status of resources typically involves monitoring tools rather than outputs themselves. Creating new variables in the configuration does not relate to the purpose of outputs but rather pertains to defining input variables for configurations.