opentofu/website/docs/cli/commands/console.mdx

---
description: >-
  The tofu console command provides an interactive console for evaluating
  expressions.
---

# Command: console

The `tofu console` command provides an interactive console for
evaluating [expressions](../../language/expressions/index.mdx).

:::warning
The `tofu console` command is not designed for use in scripts. You can use it, but
you may find that some functions don't work as intended.
:::

## Usage

Usage: `tofu console [options]`

This command provides an interactive command-line console for evaluating and
experimenting with [expressions](../../language/expressions/index.mdx).
You can use it to test interpolations before using them in configurations
and to interact with any values currently saved in
[state](../../language/state/index.mdx). If the current state is empty or has not yet been created, you can use the console to experiment with the expression syntax and
[built-in functions](../../language/functions/index.mdx). The console holds a [lock on the state](../../language/state/locking.mdx), and you will not be able to use the console while performing other actions that modify state.

To close the console, enter the `exit` command or press Control-C
or Control-D.

For configurations using
[the `local` backend](../../language/settings/backends/local.mdx) only,
`tofu console` accepts the legacy command line option
[`-state`](../../language/settings/backends/local.mdx#command-line-arguments).

:::note
Use of variables in [module sources](../../language/modules/sources.mdx#support-for-variable-and-local-evaluation),
[backend configuration](../../language/settings/backends/configuration.mdx#variables-and-locals),
or [encryption block](../../language/state/encryption.mdx#configuration)
requires [assigning values to root module variables](../../language/values/variables.mdx#assigning-values-to-root-module-variables)
when running `tofu console`.
:::

This command also accepts the following options for tofu console:

- `-var 'NAME=VALUE'` - Sets a value for a single
  [input variable](/docs/language/values/variables) declared in the
  root module of the configuration. Use this option multiple times to set
  more than one variable. Refer to
  [Input Variables on the Command Line](#input-variables-on-the-command-line) for more information.

- `-var-file=FILENAME` - Sets values for potentially many
  [input variables](/docs/language/values/variables) declared in the
  root module of the configuration, using definitions from a
  ["tfvars" file](/docs/language/values/variables#variable-definitions-tfvars-files).
  Use this option multiple times to include values from more than one file.

- `-json-into=out.json` - Allows simultaneous capture of both human readable and
  machine readable logs containing the results of evaluating the given expressions.

There are several other ways to set values for input variables in the root
module, aside from the `-var` and `-var-file` options. Refer to
[Assigning Values to Root Module Variables](../../language/values/variables.mdx#assigning-values-to-root-module-variables) for more information.

## Remote State

If [remote state](../../language/state/remote.mdx) is used by the current backend,
OpenTofu will read the state for the current workspace from the backend
before evaluating any expressions.

## Examples

The `tofu console` command will read the OpenTofu configuration in the
current working directory and the OpenTofu state file from the configured
backend so that interpolations can be tested against both the values in the
configuration and the state file.

With the following `main.tf`:

```hcl
variable "apps" {
  type = map(any)
  default = {
    "foo" = {
      "region" = "us-east-1",
    },
    "bar" = {
      "region" = "eu-west-1",
    },
    "baz" = {
      "region" = "ap-south-1",
    },
  }
}

resource "random_pet" "example" {
  for_each = var.apps
}
```

Executing `tofu console` will drop you into an interactive shell where you
can test interpolations to:

Print a value from a map:

```
> var.apps.foo
{
  "region" = "us-east-1"
}
```

Filter a map based on a specific value:

```
> { for key, value in var.apps : key => value if value.region == "us-east-1" }
{
  "foo" = {
    "region" = "us-east-1"
  }
}
```

Check if certain values may not be known until apply:

```
> random_pet.example
(known after apply)
```

Test various functions:

```
> cidrnetmask("172.16.0.0/12")
"255.240.0.0"
```