---
page_title: provider::terraform::encode_expr - Functions - Configuration Language
description: >-
  The encode_expr function produces a string representation of an arbitrary value
  using Terraform expression syntax.
---

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> [!IMPORTANT]  
> **Documentation Update:** Product documentation previously located in `/website` has moved to the [`hashicorp/web-unified-docs`](https://github.com/hashicorp/web-unified-docs) repository, where all product documentation is now centralized. Please make contributions directly to `web-unified-docs`, since changes to `/website` in this repository will not appear on developer.hashicorp.com.
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# `provider::terraform::encode_expr` Function

-> **Note:** This function is supported only in Terraform v1.8 and later.

`provider::terraform::encode_expr` is a rarely-needed function which takes
any value and produces a string containing Terraform language expression syntax
approximating that value.

To use this function, your module must declare a dependency on the built-in
`terraform` provider, which contains this function:

```hcl
terraform {
  required_providers {
    terraform = {
      source = "terraform.io/builtin/terraform"
    }
  }
}
```

The primary use for this function is in conjunction with the `hashicorp/tfe`
provider's resource type
[`tfe_variable`](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/tfe/latest/docs/resources/variable),
which expects variable values to be provided in Terraform expression syntax.

For example, the following concisely declares multiple input variables for
a particular HCP Terraform workspace:

```hcl
locals {
  workspace_vars = {
    example1 = "Hello"
    example2 = ["A", "B"]
  }
}

resource "tfe_variable" "test" {
  for_each = local.workspace_vars

  category     = "terraform"
  workspace_id = tfe_workspace.example.id

  key   = each.key
  value = provider::terraform::encode_expr(each.value)
  hcl   = true
}
```

When using this pattern, always set `hcl = true` in the resource declaration
to ensure that HCP Terraform will expect `value` to be given as Terraform
expression syntax.

We do not recommend using this function in any other situation.

~> **Warning:** The exact syntax used to encode certain values may change
in future versions of Terraform to follow idiomatic style. Avoid using the
results of this function in any context where such changes might be disruptive
when upgrading Terraform in future.

## Related Functions

* [`encode_tfvars`](/terraform/language/functions/terraform-encode_tfvars)
  produces expression strings for many different values at once, in `.tfvars`
  syntax.
