github.com/hugorut/terraform@v1.1.3/website/docs/language/functions/element.mdx (about) 1 --- 2 page_title: element - Functions - Configuration Language 3 description: The element function retrieves a single element from a list. 4 --- 5 6 # `element` Function 7 8 `element` retrieves a single element from a list. 9 10 ```hcl 11 element(list, index) 12 ``` 13 14 The index is zero-based. This function produces an error if used with an 15 empty list. The index must be a non-negative integer. 16 17 Use the built-in index syntax `list[index]` in most cases. Use this function 18 only for the special additional "wrap-around" behavior described below. 19 20 ## Examples 21 22 ``` 23 > element(["a", "b", "c"], 1) 24 b 25 ``` 26 27 If the given index is greater than the length of the list then the index is 28 "wrapped around" by taking the index modulo the length of the list: 29 30 ``` 31 > element(["a", "b", "c"], 3) 32 a 33 ``` 34 35 To get the last element from the list use [`length`](/language/functions/length) to find 36 the size of the list (minus 1 as the list is zero-based) and then pick the 37 last element: 38 39 ``` 40 > element(["a", "b", "c"], length(["a", "b", "c"])-1) 41 c 42 ``` 43 44 ## Related Functions 45 46 * [`index`](/language/functions/index_function) finds the index for a particular element value. 47 * [`lookup`](/language/functions/lookup) retrieves a value from a _map_ given its _key_.