Cloud9 IDE vs Terraform: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Cloud9 IDE and Terraform

Cloud9 IDE and Terraform are both powerful tools used in the field of software development and infrastructure management. While they serve different purposes, they have distinct features that set them apart from each other. The key differences between Cloud9 IDE and Terraform are as follows:

1. Purpose: Cloud9 IDE is an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides developers with a cloud-based platform for coding, testing, and debugging their applications. On the other hand, Terraform is an infrastructure as code (IaC) tool used for provisioning and managing infrastructure resources in a declarative manner.

2. Workflow: Cloud9 IDE offers a complete development environment in the cloud, allowing developers to work on their applications from anywhere with an internet connection. It provides features like collaborative editing, built-in terminals, and seamless integration with other AWS services. Terraform, on the other hand, follows a workflow where infrastructure is defined in configuration files and then deployed to cloud providers using Terraform commands.

3. Scope: Cloud9 IDE primarily focuses on providing a platform for software development, offering features like code editor, debugger, and collaboration tools. It is designed to empower developers to write, test, and deploy code efficiently. Terraform, on the other hand, is designed for infrastructure management and provisioning resources across different cloud providers. It enables the automation of infrastructure tasks and provides a standard method for managing infrastructure as code.

4. Flexibility: Cloud9 IDE is cloud-based and provides a managed development environment, meaning that developers have limited control over the underlying infrastructure. They can choose from pre-configured development environments but have no control over the infrastructure provisioning. Terraform, on the other hand, offers more flexibility as it allows you to define, customize, and manage infrastructure resources according to your specific requirements. It supports various cloud providers and offers a wide range of resource types.

5. Learning Curve: Cloud9 IDE is relatively easy to start with, especially for developers who are already familiar with popular IDEs. It provides a familiar development environment with a user-friendly interface. Terraform, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve as it requires understanding of infrastructure concepts, configuration files, and the Terraform syntax. It requires knowledge of declarative programming and the ability to define resources and their relationships.

6. Integration with Cloud Providers: Cloud9 IDE is tightly integrated with the AWS ecosystem and provides seamless integration with other AWS services, enabling developers to easily deploy and test their applications on AWS. Terraform, on the other hand, supports multiple cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. It provides a consistent interface for provisioning and managing resources across different cloud environments.

In Summary, Cloud9 IDE is a cloud-based integrated development environment aimed at optimizing software development workflows, while Terraform is an infrastructure as code tool designed for provisioning and managing infrastructure resources in a declarative manner across multiple cloud providers.