Table of Contents

Class Dictionary

A built-in data structure that holds key-value pairs.

Dictionary

Remarks

Dictionaries are associative containers that contain values referenced by unique keys. Dictionaries will preserve the insertion order when adding new entries. In other programming languages, this data structure is often referred to as a hash map or an associative array.

You can define a dictionary by placing a comma-separated list of key: value pairs inside curly braces {}.

Creating a dictionary:

var my_dict = {} # Creates an empty dictionary.

var dict_variable_key = "Another key name"
var dict_variable_value = "value2"
var another_dict = {
    "Some key name": "value1",
    dict_variable_key: dict_variable_value,
}

var points_dict = {"White": 50, "Yellow": 75, "Orange": 100}

# Alternative Lua-style syntax.
# Doesn't require quotes around keys, but only string constants can be used as key names.
# Additionally, key names must start with a letter or an underscore.
# Here, `some_key` is a string literal, not a variable!
another_dict = {
    some_key = 42,

}

You can access a dictionary's value by referencing its corresponding key. In the above example, points_dict["White"] will return 50. You can also write points_dict.White, which is equivalent. However, you'll have to use the bracket syntax if the key you're accessing the dictionary with isn't a fixed string (such as a number or variable).

@export_enum("White", "Yellow", "Orange") var my_color: String
var points_dict = {"White": 50, "Yellow": 75, "Orange": 100}
func _ready():
    # We can't use dot syntax here as `my_color` is a variable.
    var points = points_dict[my_color]

In the above code, points will be assigned the value that is paired with the appropriate color selected in my_color.

Dictionaries can contain more complex data:

var my_dict = {
    "First Array": [1, 2, 3, 4] # Assigns an Array to a String key.

}

To add a key to an existing dictionary, access it like an existing key and assign to it:

var points_dict = {"White": 50, "Yellow": 75, "Orange": 100}
points_dict["Blue"] = 150 # Add "Blue" as a key and assign 150 as its value.

Finally, dictionaries can contain different types of keys and values in the same dictionary:

# This is a valid dictionary.
# To access the string "Nested value" below, use `my_dict.sub_dict.sub_key` or `my_dict["sub_dict"]["sub_key"]`.
# Indexing styles can be mixed and matched depending on your needs.
var my_dict = {
    "String Key": 5,
    4: [1, 2, 3],
    7: "Hello",
    "sub_dict": {"sub_key": "Nested value"},

}

The keys of a dictionary can be iterated with the for keyword:

var groceries = {"Orange": 20, "Apple": 2, "Banana": 4}
for fruit in groceries:
    var amount = groceries[fruit]

Note: Dictionaries are always passed by reference. To get a copy of a dictionary which can be modified independently of the original dictionary, use Dictionary.duplicate.

Note: Erasing elements while iterating over dictionaries is not supported and will result in unpredictable behavior.

See Also

GDScript basics: Dictionary
3D Voxel Demo
Operating System Testing Demo

Constructors

Dictionary

Constructs an empty Dictionary.

Dictionary Dictionary

Dictionary(Dictionary, int, StringName, Variant, int, StringName, Variant)

Creates a typed dictionary from the base dictionary. A typed dictionary can only contain keys and values of the given types, or that inherit from the given classes, as described by this constructor's parameters.

Dictionary Dictionary(Dictionary base, int key_type, StringName key_class_name, Variant key_script, int value_type, StringName value_class_name, Variant value_script)

Parameters

base Dictionary
key_type int
key_class_name StringName
key_script Variant
value_type int
value_class_name StringName
value_script Variant

Dictionary(Dictionary)

Returns the same dictionary as from. If you need a copy of the dictionary, use Dictionary.duplicate.

Dictionary Dictionary(Dictionary from)

Parameters

from Dictionary

Methods

assign(Dictionary)

Assigns elements of another dictionary into the dictionary. Resizes the dictionary to match dictionary. Performs type conversions if the dictionary is typed.

void assign(Dictionary dictionary)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary

clear

Clears the dictionary, removing all entries from it.

void clear

duplicate(bool)

Qualifiers: const

Creates and returns a new copy of the dictionary. If deep is true, inner Dictionary and Array keys and values are also copied, recursively.

Dictionary duplicate(bool deep)

Parameters

deep bool

erase(Variant)

Removes the dictionary entry by key, if it exists. Returns true if the given key existed in the dictionary, otherwise false.

Note: Do not erase entries while iterating over the dictionary. You can iterate over the keys array instead.

bool erase(Variant key)

Parameters

key Variant

find_key(Variant)

Qualifiers: const

Finds and returns the first key whose associated value is equal to value, or null if it is not found.

Note: null is also a valid key. If inside the dictionary, Dictionary.find_key may give misleading results.

Variant find_key(Variant value)

Parameters

value Variant

get(Variant, Variant)

Qualifiers: const

Returns the corresponding value for the given key in the dictionary. If the key does not exist, returns default, or null if the parameter is omitted.

Variant get(Variant key, Variant default)

Parameters

key Variant
default Variant

get_or_add(Variant, Variant)

Gets a value and ensures the key is set. If the key exists in the dictionary, this behaves like Dictionary.get. Otherwise, the default value is inserted into the dictionary and returned.

Variant get_or_add(Variant key, Variant default)

Parameters

key Variant
default Variant

get_typed_key_builtin

Qualifiers: const

Returns the built-in Variant type of the typed dictionary's keys as a Variant.Type constant. If the keys are not typed, returns @GlobalScope.TYPE_NIL. See also is_typed_key.

int get_typed_key_builtin

get_typed_key_class_name

Qualifiers: const

Returns the built-in class name of the typed dictionary's keys, if the built-in Variant type is @GlobalScope.TYPE_OBJECT. Otherwise, returns an empty StringName. See also is_typed_key and get_class.

StringName get_typed_key_class_name

get_typed_key_script

Qualifiers: const

Returns the Script instance associated with this typed dictionary's keys, or null if it does not exist. See also is_typed_key.

Variant get_typed_key_script

get_typed_value_builtin

Qualifiers: const

Returns the built-in Variant type of the typed dictionary's values as a Variant.Type constant. If the values are not typed, returns @GlobalScope.TYPE_NIL. See also is_typed_value.

int get_typed_value_builtin

get_typed_value_class_name

Qualifiers: const

Returns the built-in class name of the typed dictionary's values, if the built-in Variant type is @GlobalScope.TYPE_OBJECT. Otherwise, returns an empty StringName. See also is_typed_value and get_class.

StringName get_typed_value_class_name

get_typed_value_script

Qualifiers: const

Returns the Script instance associated with this typed dictionary's values, or null if it does not exist. See also is_typed_value.

Variant get_typed_value_script

has(Variant)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary contains an entry with the given key.

var my_dict = {
    "Godot" : 4,
    210 : null,
}

print(my_dict.has("Godot")) # Prints true
print(my_dict.has(210))     # Prints true
print(my_dict.has(4))       # Prints false

In GDScript, this is equivalent to the in operator:

if "Godot" in {"Godot": 4}:
    print("The key is here!") # Will be printed.

Note: This method returns true as long as the key exists, even if its corresponding value is null.

bool has(Variant key)

Parameters

key Variant

has_all(Array)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary contains all keys in the given keys array.

var data = {"width" : 10, "height" : 20}
data.has_all(["height", "width"]) # Returns true


bool has_all(Array keys)

Parameters

keys Array

hash

Qualifiers: const

Returns a hashed 32-bit integer value representing the dictionary contents.

var dict1 = {"A": 10, "B": 2}
var dict2 = {"A": 10, "B": 2}

print(dict1.hash() == dict2.hash()) # Prints true

Note: Dictionaries with the same entries but in a different order will not have the same hash.

Note: Dictionaries with equal hash values are not guaranteed to be the same, because of hash collisions. On the contrary, dictionaries with different hash values are guaranteed to be different.

int hash

is_empty

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary is empty (its size is 0). See also size.

bool is_empty

is_read_only

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary is read-only. See make_read_only. Dictionaries are automatically read-only if declared with const keyword.

bool is_read_only

is_same_typed(Dictionary)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary is typed the same as dictionary.

bool is_same_typed(Dictionary dictionary)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary

is_same_typed_key(Dictionary)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary's keys are typed the same as dictionary's keys.

bool is_same_typed_key(Dictionary dictionary)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary

is_same_typed_value(Dictionary)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary's values are typed the same as dictionary's values.

bool is_same_typed_value(Dictionary dictionary)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary

is_typed

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary is typed. Typed dictionaries can only store keys/values of their associated type and provide type safety for the [] operator. Methods of typed dictionary still return Variant.

bool is_typed

is_typed_key

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary's keys are typed.

bool is_typed_key

is_typed_value

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the dictionary's values are typed.

bool is_typed_value

keys

Qualifiers: const

Returns the list of keys in the dictionary.

Array keys

make_read_only

Makes the dictionary read-only, i.e. disables modification of the dictionary's contents. Does not apply to nested content, e.g. content of nested dictionaries.

void make_read_only

merge(Dictionary, bool)

Adds entries from dictionary to this dictionary. By default, duplicate keys are not copied over, unless overwrite is true.

var dict = { "item": "sword", "quantity": 2 }
var other_dict = { "quantity": 15, "color": "silver" }

# Overwriting of existing keys is disabled by default.
dict.merge(other_dict)
print(dict)  # { "item": "sword", "quantity": 2, "color": "silver" }

# With overwriting of existing keys enabled.
dict.merge(other_dict, true)
print(dict)  # { "item": "sword", "quantity": 15, "color": "silver" }

Note: Dictionary.merge is not recursive. Nested dictionaries are considered as keys that can be overwritten or not depending on the value of overwrite, but they will never be merged together.

void merge(Dictionary dictionary, bool overwrite)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary
overwrite bool

merged(Dictionary, bool)

Qualifiers: const

Returns a copy of this dictionary merged with the other dictionary. By default, duplicate keys are not copied over, unless overwrite is true. See also Dictionary.merge.

This method is useful for quickly making dictionaries with default values:

var base = { "fruit": "apple", "vegetable": "potato" }
var extra = { "fruit": "orange", "dressing": "vinegar" }
# Prints { "fruit": "orange", "vegetable": "potato", "dressing": "vinegar" }
print(extra.merged(base))
# Prints { "fruit": "apple", "vegetable": "potato", "dressing": "vinegar" }
print(extra.merged(base, true))


Dictionary merged(Dictionary dictionary, bool overwrite)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary
overwrite bool

recursive_equal(Dictionary, int)

Qualifiers: const

Returns true if the two dictionaries contain the same keys and values, inner Dictionary and Array keys and values are compared recursively.

bool recursive_equal(Dictionary dictionary, int recursion_count)

Parameters

dictionary Dictionary
recursion_count int

set(Variant, Variant)

Sets the value of the element at the given key to the given value. This is the same as using the [] operator (array[index] = value).

bool set(Variant key, Variant value)

Parameters

key Variant
value Variant

size

Qualifiers: const

Returns the number of entries in the dictionary. Empty dictionaries ({ }) always return 0. See also is_empty.

int size

sort

Sorts the dictionary in-place by key. This can be used to ensure dictionaries with the same contents produce equivalent results when getting the keys, getting the values, and converting to a string. This is also useful when wanting a JSON representation consistent with what is in memory, and useful for storing on a database that requires dictionaries to be sorted.

void sort

values

Qualifiers: const

Returns the list of values in this dictionary.

Array values

Operators

!= (Dictionary)

Returns true if the two dictionaries do not contain the same keys and values.

bool != (Dictionary right)

Parameters

right Dictionary

== (Dictionary)

Returns true if the two dictionaries contain the same keys and values. The order of the entries does not matter.

Note: In C#, by convention, this operator compares by reference. If you need to compare by value, iterate over both dictionaries.

bool == (Dictionary right)

Parameters

right Dictionary

[] (Variant)

Returns the corresponding value for the given key in the dictionary. If the entry does not exist, fails and returns null. For safe access, use Dictionary.get or Dictionary.has.

Variant [] (Variant key)

Parameters

key Variant