Test Terraform Changes

Overview

Run the standard validation suite for terraform changes against the test environment.

Usage

/test-changes

Test Environment

• Module code: /Volumes/MysticalTech/Code/kube-hetzner
• Test cluster: /Users/karim/Code/kube-test

Workflow

digraph test_flow {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box];

    fmt [label="1. terraform fmt"];
    validate [label="2. terraform validate"];
    init [label="3. terraform init -upgrade"];
    plan [label="4. terraform plan"];
    review [label="5. Review plan output"];

    fmt -> validate;
    validate -> init;
    init -> plan;
    plan -> review;
}

Step 1: Format Check

cd /Volumes/MysticalTech/Code/kube-hetzner
terraform fmt -recursive

Must pass before proceeding.

Step 2: Validate Module

cd /Volumes/MysticalTech/Code/kube-hetzner
terraform validate

Must pass before proceeding.

Step 3: Initialize Test Environment

cd /Users/karim/Code/kube-test
terraform init -upgrade

This picks up changes from the local module.

Step 4: Plan Against Test Cluster

cd /Users/karim/Code/kube-test
terraform plan

What to Look For

Good Signs

• Only expected resources change
• No unexpected additions/deletions
• Changes match your intended modifications

Red Flags (STOP!)

Output	Meaning	Action
will be destroyed	Resource recreation	STOP - Breaking change
must be replaced	Resource recreation	STOP - Breaking change
forces replacement	Resource recreation	STOP - Breaking change
Unexpected changes	Side effects	Investigate before proceeding

Breaking Change = MAJOR Release

If terraform plan shows ANY resource destruction on existing infrastructure:

1. STOP - This is NOT backward compatible
2. The change requires a MAJOR version bump
3. Migration guide is required
4. Consider alternative approaches first

Step 5: Review Plan Output

Checklist

• terraform fmt passes
• terraform validate passes
• terraform plan shows expected changes only
• No resource destruction
• No unexpected side effects
• Changes are backward compatible

Quick Reference

# Full test sequence
cd /Volumes/MysticalTech/Code/kube-hetzner && \
terraform fmt -recursive && \
terraform validate && \
cd /Users/karim/Code/kube-test && \
terraform init -upgrade && \
terraform plan

Apply (Optional)

Only if plan looks correct and you want to test on actual infrastructure:

cd /Users/karim/Code/kube-test
terraform apply

Caution: This modifies real infrastructure. Only do this for thorough testing.

Common Issues

"Provider version constraints"

terraform init -upgrade

"Module source has changed"

terraform init -upgrade

"State lock"

Someone else may be running terraform. Wait or:

terraform force-unlock <lock-id>

Validation errors

Check the error message - usually points to:

• Missing required variable
• Type mismatch
• Invalid reference

AI-Assisted Review

For complex changes, get AI review:

# Codex for correctness
codex exec -m gpt-5.2-codex -s read-only -c model_reasoning_effort="xhigh" \
  "Review these terraform changes for issues: $(git diff)"

# Gemini for broad impact
gemini --model gemini-3-pro-preview -p \
  "@locals.tf @variables.tf Analyze impact of these changes: $(git diff)"