A reference creates a relationship.
That relationship becomes an edge in the dependency graph.
And that edge determines order, safety, and intent.
In this lesson, we look at how outputs act as controlled exits for meaning.
They do not return values.
They allow other parts of the graph to ask, deliberately, for what they need.
You’ll also see why missing references don’t cause errors, but quietly remove Terraform’s ability to protect you.
This is not about syntax.
It’s about learning how Terraform thinks.