> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structfind.md).

# StructFind

Finds and retrieves a top-level key from a string in a struct

## Method Signature

```
StructFind(struct=[structloose], key=[any], defaultValue=[any])
```

### Arguments

| Argument       | Type     | Required | Description                                                             | Default |
| -------------- | -------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `struct`       | `struct` | `true`   | The struct object                                                       |         |
| `key`          | `any`    | `true`   | The key to search                                                       |         |
| `defaultValue` | `any`    | `false`  | An optional value to be returned if the struct does not contain the key |         |

## Examples

### Simple example

Searches through a structure by a given key and outputs the related value

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJxLzi%2FNKynKTC1WsFWoVuDiVAoNdlRSsFJQCk8szsjMSy%2FJz1Nw0XPWU9IByrmnFuUm5lWC5Z1Si3Iy88DCXokFiXlgwZD87Mx8Ja5aa67yosySVP%2FSkoLSEg2F4pKi0uQSt8y8FA2FZJiFOgoI8zQVNK25AEUEKg0%3D)

```java
countries = { 
	"USA" : "Washington D.C.",
	"Germany" : "Berlin",
	"Japan" : "Tokio"
};
writeOutput( structFind( countries, "Germany" ) );

```

Result: Berlin

### Additional Examples

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJyVj8FOwzAQRM%2FNV4x8aqWovYNyqIKKcmpFkDhvmw214tgodggI8e%2FYTkroASSOu7P7Zoa0bElZZPhAssj3T7iBaI0RabI4FPdhMlI3Ycy3j1FkM4jk8zbZbFCezQBSCjRikru%2BfVlC0ZFVJrazIFK8UpdNE1bxeyd1hRM5SP0NqP0u96sMpev6kws3y4uaQvhzMb1H845tr5yFqTG9Xmd4mPUfwJkXgWI15bu4jwZFDXdmNPyOyrCFNg78Jq1LMbAPrmHZgVBxTd7EE1TPaxTav0nrDyx79ahIN7Cuk%2Fp5HfuVmqT6taENqgjR%2FugZEf9sOoIj%2BbrxmMebfQGdfacH)

```java
animals = { 
	COW : "moo",
	PIG : "oink",
	CAT : "meow"
};
// Show all animals
Dump( label="All animals", var=animals );
// Find cat in animals
findCat = StructFind( animals, "cat" );
// Show results of findCat
Dump( label="Results of StructFind(animals, ""cat"")", var=findCat );
// If the key does not exist, we can set a default value. In this case a blank string.
findSnail = StructFind( animals, "snail", "" );
// Show results of findSnail
Dump( label="Results of StructFind(animals, ""snail"", """")", var=findSnail );

```

## Related

* [StructAppend](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structappend.md)
* [StructClear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structclear.md)
* [StructCopy](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structcopy.md)
* [StructDelete](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structdelete.md)
* [StructEach](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structeach.md)
* [StructEquals](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structequals.md)
* [StructEvery](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structevery.md)
* [StructFilter](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structfilter.md)
* [StructFindKey](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structfindkey.md)
* [StructFindValue](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structfindvalue.md)
* [StructGet](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structget.md)
* [StructGetMetadata](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structgetmetadata.md)
* [StructInsert](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structinsert.md)
* [StructIsCaseSensitive](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structiscasesensitive.md)
* [StructIsOrdered](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structisordered.md)
* [StructKeyArray](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structkeyarray.md)
* [StructKeyExists](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structkeyexists.md)
* [StructKeyList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structkeylist.md)
* [StructKeyTranslate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structkeytranslate.md)
* [StructMap](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structmap.md)
* [StructNew](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structnew.md)
* [StructNone](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structnone.md)
* [StructReduce](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structreduce.md)
* [StructSome](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structsome.md)
* [StructSort](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structsort.md)
* [StructToQueryString](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structtoquerystring.md)
* [StructToSorted](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structtosorted.md)
* [StructUpdate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structupdate.md)
* [StructValueArray](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/struct/structvaluearray.md)


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