What does the Terraform provisioner do in relation to resource creation?

The Terraform provisioner is designed to facilitate the execution of scripts or the copying of files to the target resources after they have been created. When using provisioners, you can automate tasks that need to happen on the resource once it is up and running. For example, you might use the provisioner to copy configuration files, application binaries, or deploy scripts to a newly provisioned virtual machine, ensuring that the machine is set up as needed immediately after its creation.

This capability is particularly useful in scenarios where additional setup or configuration is required that cannot be handled directly by Terraform resources alone. It allows for smooth integration between Terraform's resource management and the actual implementation of the configuration or application on those resources, streamlining the overall infrastructure provisioning process.