diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3fa1d69..e9eccf7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
 
 project(duckx VERSION 0.2)
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ option(BUILD_SAMPLES "Build provided samples" OFF)
 # else we might encounter errors making the library 
 # not being able to be compiled
 
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
 set(HEADERS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/duckx.hpp"
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/constants.hpp"
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ add_library(duckx::duckx ALIAS duckx)
 
 target_include_directories(duckx PUBLIC
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src>
+    $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include>
     $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include>
 )
 
diff --git a/include/duckx.hpp b/include/duckx.hpp
index 6b8f38e..5ea66b8 100755
--- a/include/duckx.hpp
+++ b/include/duckx.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string>
+#include <optional>
+#include <functional>
 
 #include <constants.hpp>
 #include <duckxiterator.hpp>
@@ -19,6 +21,19 @@
 // TODO: Use container-iterator design pattern!
 
 namespace duckx {
+
+template <class T>
+std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<T>>
+get_by_index(T& obj, size_t index){
+    if(index == 0) {
+        return obj;
+    }
+    if(obj.has_next()) {
+        return get_by_index(obj.next(), index - 1);
+    }
+    return std::nullopt;
+}
+
 // Run contains runs in a paragraph
 class Run {
   private:
@@ -40,6 +55,7 @@ class Run {
 
     Run &next();
     bool has_next() const;
+    std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<Run>> get_run_by_index(size_t index);
 };
 
 // Paragraph contains a paragraph
@@ -68,6 +84,7 @@ class Paragraph {
     Run &add_run(const char *, duckx::formatting_flag = duckx::none);
     Paragraph &insert_paragraph_after(const std::string &,
                                       duckx::formatting_flag = duckx::none);
+    std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<Paragraph>> get_paragraph_by_index(size_t index);
 };
 
 // TableCell contains one or more paragraphs
@@ -90,6 +107,7 @@ class TableCell {
 
     TableCell &next();
     bool has_next() const;
+    std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<TableCell>> get_table_cell_by_index(size_t index);
 };
 
 // TableRow consists of one or more TableCells
@@ -110,6 +128,7 @@ class TableRow {
 
     bool has_next() const;
     TableRow &next();
+    std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<TableRow>> get_table_row_by_index(size_t index);
 };
 
 // Table consists of one or more TableRow objects
diff --git a/src/duckx.cpp b/src/duckx.cpp
index 550ad9f..3cb10a2 100644
--- a/src/duckx.cpp
+++ b/src/duckx.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ duckx::Run &duckx::Run::next() {
 
 bool duckx::Run::has_next() const { return this->current != 0; }
 
+std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<duckx::Run>>
+duckx::Run::get_run_by_index(size_t index) {
+    return get_by_index(*this, index);
+}
+
 // Table cells
 duckx::TableCell::TableCell() {}
 
@@ -67,6 +72,10 @@ void duckx::TableCell::set_current(pugi::xml_node node) {
 
 bool duckx::TableCell::has_next() const { return this->current != 0; }
 
+std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<duckx::TableCell>> duckx::TableCell::get_table_cell_by_index(size_t index) {
+    return get_by_index(*this, index);
+}
+
 duckx::TableCell &duckx::TableCell::next() {
     this->current = this->current.next_sibling();
     return *this;
@@ -99,6 +108,10 @@ duckx::TableRow &duckx::TableRow::next() {
     return *this;
 }
 
+std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<duckx::TableRow>> duckx::TableRow::get_table_row_by_index(size_t index) {
+    return get_by_index(*this, index);
+}
+
 duckx::TableCell &duckx::TableRow::cells() {
     this->cell.set_parent(this->current);
     return this->cell;
@@ -235,6 +248,11 @@ duckx::Paragraph::insert_paragraph_after(const std::string &text,
     return *p;
 }
 
+std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<duckx::Paragraph>>
+duckx::Paragraph::get_paragraph_by_index(size_t index){
+    return get_by_index(*this, index);
+}
+
 duckx::Document::Document() {
     // TODO: this function must be removed!
     this->directory = "";