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Testing

Testing infrastructure code is crucial for ensuring reliability and preventing regressions.

Testing Strategies​

Plan-Based Testing​

The simplest form of testing is validating Terraform plans:

terraform init
terraform plan

Integration Testing​

For more comprehensive testing, consider using:

  • Terratest: Go-based testing framework for Terraform
  • Kitchen-Terraform: Integration testing with Test Kitchen
  • Terraform Test: Native Terraform testing (Terraform 1.6+)

Example: Terratest​

package test

import (
    "testing"
    "github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/modules/terraform"
    "github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
)

func TestPolicyAssignment(t *testing.T) {
    terraformOptions := terraform.WithDefaultRetryableErrors(t, &terraform.Options{
        TerraformDir: "../examples/basic",
    })

    defer terraform.Destroy(t, terraformOptions)
    terraform.InitAndApply(t, terraformOptions)

    policyAssignmentId := terraform.Output(t, terraformOptions, "policy_assignment_id")
    assert.NotEmpty(t, policyAssignmentId)
}

Best Practices​

  1. Test in isolated environments: Use separate test subscriptions/accounts
  2. Clean up resources: Always destroy test resources after testing
  3. Test edge cases: Validate error handling and boundary conditions
  4. Automate testing: Include tests in CI/CD pipelines

Learn More​