github.com/ves/terraform@v0.8.0-beta2/website/source/docs/commands/console.html.markdown (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "docs" 3 page_title: "Command: console" 4 sidebar_current: "docs-commands-console" 5 description: |- 6 The `terraform console` command creates an interactive console for using [interpolations](/docs/configuration/interpolation.html). 7 --- 8 9 # Command: console 10 11 The `terraform console` command creates an interactive console for 12 using [interpolations](/docs/configuration/interpolation.html). 13 14 ## Usage 15 16 Usage: `terraform console [options] [dir]` 17 18 This opens an interactive console for experimenting with interpolations. 19 This is useful for testing interpolations before using them in configurations 20 as well as interacting with an existing [state](/docs/state/index.html). 21 22 If a state file doesn't exist, the console still works and can be used 23 to experiment with supported interpolation functions. Try entering some basic 24 math such as `1 + 5` to see. 25 26 The `dir` argument can be used to open a console for a specific Terraform 27 configuration directory. This will load any state from that directory as 28 well as the configuration. This defaults to the current working directory. 29 The `console` command does not require Terraform state or configuration 30 to function. 31 32 The command-line flags are all optional. The list of available flags are: 33 34 * `-state=path` - Path to the state file. Defaults to "terraform.tfstate". 35 A state file doesn't need to exist. 36 37 ## Scripting 38 39 The `terraform console` command can be used in non-interactive scripts 40 by piping newline-separated commands to it. Only the output from the 41 final command is outputted unless an error occurs earlier. 42 43 An example is shown below: 44 45 ``` 46 $ echo "1 + 5" | terraform console 47 6 48 ``` 49 50 ## Remote State 51 52 The `terraform console `command will read configured state even if it 53 is [remote](/docs/state/remote/index.html). This is great for scripting 54 state reading in CI environments or other remote scenarios. 55 56 After configuring remote state, run a `terraform remote pull` command 57 to sync state locally. The `terraform console` command will use this 58 state for operations. 59 60 Because the console currently isn't able to modify state in any way, 61 this is a one way operation and you don't need to worry about remote 62 state conflicts in any way.