# Dictionaries can't find keys
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question, dictionary, dictionaries
**Created:** [October 9, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488 "2021-10-09T22:22:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/1 "2021-10-09T22:22:59Z")
I have this dictionary
```julia
starting_balance=starting_balance=Dict(
# Starting Balance consists of a dictionary, containing debit and credit dictionaries, containing accounts as empty dictionaries.
#accounts are organized into credit and debit, then into subledgers based on DEALER acrynym
#Debit Accounts
#Drawings
#Expenses
#Assets
#Credit Accounts
#Liabilities
#Equity
#Revenue
#Year End Accounts # These are used to close temporary accounts
# Gross Revenue
# Gross Expenses
# Earned Income
"debit"=>Dict(
# balance = Σdebit - Σcredit
"drawings"=>Dict(), #debit normal ledgers
"expenses"=>Dict(),
"assets"=>Dict()),
"credit"=>Dict( # revenue, liabilities, equtiy, and year_end, are credit normal
# balance = Σcredit - Σdebit
"liabilities"=>Dict(),
"equity"=>Dict(),
"revenue"=>Dict(),
"retained"=> Dict( #Closing Accounts - No Balance Until Temp Accounts Closed
"Retained Earnings"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Gross Income"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Gross Expenses"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Net Income"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Total Drawings"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
)
)
)
```
but when I put in
```julia
starting_balance["expenses"]
```
It says the key expenses is not found, I have the same problem when I add a DataFrame as a value inside that dictionary
---
### Author:  [@oheil](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oheil)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/2 "2021-10-09T22:54:57Z")
```julia
julia> starting_balance["debit"]["expenses"]
Dict{Any, Any}()
```
---
### Author:  [@rafael.guerra](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/rafael.guerra)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/3 "2021-10-09T22:56:13Z")
And for the second question:
```julia
df = DataFrame(date="10-Oct-2021", memo= "memo", debit=Vector{Dec64}([1.0, 2.2]),
credit=Vector{Dec64}([3.0, 4.0]), balance=Vector{Dec64}([0.0, -1.1]))
starting_balance["credit"]["retained"]["Net Income"] = df
```
_ **NB:** a MWE should include all packages used, in this case:_ `using DecFP, DataFrames`
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/4 "2021-10-09T23:27:40Z")
Ok thanks I’ll include the packages
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/5 "2021-10-09T23:40:31Z")
```julia
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*debit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
else
end
else
debit_amount_entries[i]=round(Dec64(debit_amount_entries[i]),digits=2)
end
```
why would I get an error saying that
the same key is not found, with an error number pointing to this row?
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/6 "2021-10-09T23:41:32Z")
here is the whole function
```julia
function transaction(
memo,
date,
debit_ledger_entries=[],
debit_account_entries=[],
debit_amount_entries=[],
credit_ledger_entries=[],
credit_account_entries=[],
credit_amount_entries=[],
general_ledger=general_ledger
)
if length(credit_ledger_entries) != length(credit_account_entries)
return "Error--there must be the same number of credit legders and accounts"
else
if length(credit_account_entries) != length(credit_amount_entries)
return "Error-- each account needs a value and vice versa"
else
if length(debit_ledger_entries) != length(debit_account_entries)
return "Error--there must be the same number of debit legders and accounts"
else
if length(debit_account_entries) != length(debit_amount_entries)
return "Error-- each debit account needs a value and vice versa"
else
#test that debit amounts are balanced with credit amounts
#totals are converted to Dec64 rounded to two decimals, to ensure that computer arithmetic, does not create a false imbalance
#IMPORTANT when testing, revise code if imbalances are a problem
if (round(Dec64(sum(debit_amount_entries)),digits=2)
-round(Dec64(sum(credit_amount_entries)),digits=2))!=0
#there might be a problem, that the amounts no longer balance I can move this test after the while loop, to ensure that is not a problem, but it may hurt performance, and it would mean adding invalid values to accounts
return "Error-total credits does not match total debits"
else
journal_entry=DataFrame(Date=[date],
DebitedAccounts=[""],
CreditedAccounts=[""],
Debits=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]),
Credits=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]),
Balance=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]))
i=1
end
end
end
end
end
while i <= length(debit_amount_entries)
"""Test to see that for each DEBIT entry, the ledger and account exists"""
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
else
end
else
end
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*debit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
else
end
else
debit_amount_entries[i]=round(Dec64(debit_amount_entries[i]),digits=2)
i+=1
end
end
while i <= length(credit_amount_entries)
"""a test for each CREDIT Entry, that the ledger and account exist"""
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], credit_ledger_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"], credit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*credit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
else
end
else
end
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"][credit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"][credit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*credit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*credit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
end
else
""" after the accounts are shown to exist, the CREDIT values are converted to Dec64, rounded to two digits."""
credit_amount_entries[i]=round(Dec64(credit_amount_entries[i]),digits=2)
i+=1
end
end
while i <= length(debit_ledger_entries)
#values in arrays are identified with variables, then passed to other functions, to add information to accounts and the journal_entry
#debit values are converted
debit_ledger_name=debit_ledger_entries[i]
debit_amount = round(debit_amount_entries[i];digits=2)
debit_account=debit_account_entries[i]
calc_debit_balance!(
general_ledger,
journal_entry,
date,
debit_ledger_name,
debit_account,
debit_amount,
memo)
i+=1
end
i=1
while i <= length(credit_ledger_entries)
#credit values are converted and added, after debit values
credit_ledger_name=credit_ledger_entries[i]
credit_account=credit_account_entries[i]
credit_amount=floor(credit_amount_entries[i];digits=2)
calc_credit_balance!(
general_ledger,
journal_entry,
date,
credit_ledger_name,
credit_account,
credit_amount,
memo)
i+=1
end
#after these values are added to the journal entry in individual while loops, these the total debits and credits are added to and this is added to the journal entry.
push!(journal_entry,["","Total","Transaction",
round(sum(journal_entry.Debits); digits=2),
round(sum(journal_entry.Credits); digits=2),0])
#finally the journl entry and table are outputed
return (journal_entry, memo)
end;
```
---
### Author:  [@hendri54](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/hendri54)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 11:53am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/7 "2021-10-10T11:53:11Z")
Not answering your questions, but…
- are you sure nested Dicts are the best data structure for this purpose? If the fields are always the same, nested structs might be clearer / more robust.
- it would be easier to provide an answer if your working example were truly minimal.
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/8 "2021-10-10T15:50:09Z")
I was thinking of using DataFrames, I could look into structs. I’d like to provide a clear MWE, but I’m really lost about what is going wrong.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/9 "2021-10-10T16:02:07Z")
OK, let us start with a not working _example_ then: if I include your function in Julia I get
```julia
transaction (generic function with 8 methods)
```
How do I call the function `transaction` then to reproduce your problem?
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/10 "2021-10-10T16:06:13Z")
```julia
transaction("Weird Example",
"Jan 2 2021",
["retained"],
["Gross Income"],
[100.00],
["retained"],
["Net Income"],
[100.00])
```
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/11 "2021-10-10T16:10:40Z")
Now I get
```julia
ERROR: LoadError: UndefVarError: general_ledger not defined
```
`general_ledger` is the default for the parameter we did not specify in the call and has to exist therefore.
```julia
function transaction(
memo,
date,
debit_ledger_entries=[],
debit_account_entries=[],
debit_amount_entries=[],
credit_ledger_entries=[],
credit_account_entries=[],
credit_amount_entries=[],
general_ledger=general_ledger
)
```
Did you define it somewhere else?
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/12 "2021-10-10T16:12:41Z")
```julia
general_ledger=deepcopy(starting_balance)
```
or
```julia
transaction("Weird Example",
"Jan 2 2021",
["retained"],
["Gross Income"],
[100.00],
["retained"],
["Net Income"],
[100.00],
general_ledger)
```
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/13 "2021-10-10T16:22:55Z")
So things start coming together. I assume you are using
```julia
using DataFrames, DecFP
```
somewhere. After installing the packages I now get
```julia
ERROR: LoadError: KeyError: key "retained" not found
```
Is this the problem you are also facing?
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/14 "2021-10-10T16:24:25Z")
yes, that’s where I’m having an error.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/15 "2021-10-10T16:36:15Z")
Now a question of understanding regarding
```julia
return "Error -- "*debit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
```
and
```julia
return "Error -- "*debit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*debit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
```
Do these entries have to exist in one of `general_ledger["debit"]` or `general_ledger["credit"]` or in both?
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/16 "2021-10-10T16:41:47Z")
If the ledger name (the outer dictionary) is misspelled then it should show “Error – “_debit\_ledger\_entries[i]_” not found”
when the ledger name is correct,but the account is misspelled (the inner DataFrame), but the ledger name is spelled corretly, it’s supposed to return “Error – “_debit\_account\_entries[i]_” not found in"_debit\_ledger\_entries[i]_”."
If both names are matched to a key, then it’s supposed to move on to the next function. Currently, I’m not getting any error message involving calc\_debit\_balance! or calc\_credit\_balance! so I don’t think calling those functions is an issue right now.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/17 "2021-10-10T16:43:32Z")
I believe your checking logic
```julia
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
if !haskey(general_ledger["credit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
```
is questionable and should be
```julia
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], debit_ledger_entries[i]) ||
!haskey(general_ledger["credit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
```
instead.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/18 "2021-10-10T16:48:49Z")
Please check the following complete example:
```julia
using DataFrames, DecFP
starting_balance=starting_balance=Dict(
"debit"=>Dict(
"drawings"=>Dict(), #debit normal ledgers
"expenses"=>Dict(),
"assets"=>Dict()),
"credit"=>Dict(
"liabilities"=>Dict(),
"equity"=>Dict(),
"revenue"=>Dict(),
"retained"=> Dict( #Closing Accounts - No Balance Until Temp Accounts Closed
"Retained Earnings"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Gross Income"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Gross Expenses"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Net Income"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}()),
"Total Drawings"=>DataFrame(
date=Vector{String}(),
memo=Vector{String}(),
debit=Vector{Dec64}(),
credit=Vector{Dec64}(),
balance=Vector{Dec64}())))
)
function transaction(memo, date,
debit_ledger_entries=[], debit_account_entries=[],
debit_amount_entries=[], credit_ledger_entries=[],
credit_account_entries=[], credit_amount_entries=[],
general_ledger=general_ledger)
if length(credit_ledger_entries) != length(credit_account_entries)
return "Error--there must be the same number of credit legders and accounts"
end
if length(credit_account_entries) != length(credit_amount_entries)
return "Error-- each account needs a value and vice versa"
end
if length(debit_ledger_entries) != length(debit_account_entries)
return "Error--there must be the same number of debit legders and accounts"
end
if length(debit_account_entries) != length(debit_amount_entries)
return "Error-- each debit account needs a value and vice versa"
end
if (round(Dec64(sum(debit_amount_entries)),digits=2)
-round(Dec64(sum(credit_amount_entries)),digits=2))!=0
return "Error-total credits does not match total debits"
end
journal_entry=DataFrame(Date=[date],
DebitedAccounts=[""],
CreditedAccounts=[""],
Debits=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]),
Credits=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]),
Balance=Vector{Dec64}([0.00]))
i=1
while i <= length(debit_amount_entries)
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], debit_ledger_entries[i]) ||
!haskey(general_ledger["credit"], debit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
end
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i]) ||
!haskey(general_ledger["credit"][debit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*debit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*debit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
end
debit_amount_entries[i]=round(Dec64(debit_amount_entries[i]),digits=2)
i+=1
end
i=1
while i <= length(credit_amount_entries)
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"], credit_ledger_entries[i]) ||
!haskey(general_ledger["credit"], credit_ledger_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*credit_ledger_entries[i]*" not found"
end
if !haskey(general_ledger["debit"][credit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i]) ||
!haskey(general_ledger["credit"][credit_ledger_entries[i]], credit_account_entries[i])
return "Error -- "*credit_account_entries[i]*" not found in"*credit_ledger_entries[i]*"."
end
credit_amount_entries[i]=round(Dec64(credit_amount_entries[i]),digits=2)
i+=1
end
i=1
while i <= length(debit_ledger_entries)
debit_ledger_name=debit_ledger_entries[i]
debit_amount = round(debit_amount_entries[i];digits=2)
debit_account=debit_account_entries[i]
calc_debit_balance!(
general_ledger,
journal_entry,
date,
debit_ledger_name,
debit_account,
debit_amount,
memo)
i+=1
end
i=1
while i <= length(credit_ledger_entries)
credit_ledger_name=credit_ledger_entries[i]
credit_account=credit_account_entries[i]
credit_amount=floor(credit_amount_entries[i];digits=2)
calc_credit_balance!(
general_ledger,
journal_entry,
date,
credit_ledger_name,
credit_account,
credit_amount,
memo)
i+=1
end
push!(journal_entry,["","Total","Transaction",
round(sum(journal_entry.Debits); digits=2),
round(sum(journal_entry.Credits); digits=2),0])
return (journal_entry, memo)
end;
transaction("Weird Example", "Jan 2 2021",
["retained"], ["Gross Income"], [100.00], ["retained"],
["Net Income"], [100.00], starting_balance)
```
Fixing the questionable logic changed the message to
```julia
"Error -- retained not found"
```
I believe this is intended. I’ll now debug the problem.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/19 "2021-10-10T16:59:45Z")
Instrumenting the four while loops with something like
```julia
i=1
while i <= length(debit_amount_entries)
println("step1")
println(keys(general_ledger["debit"]))
println(keys(general_ledger["credit"]))
println(debit_ledger_entries[i])
```
shows
```julia
step1
["drawings", "expenses", "assets"]
["equity", "revenue", "liabilities", "retained"]
retained
```
So either `"retained"` should be contained in `"debit"` or both versions of the checking logic are wrong.
---
### Author:  [@brett\_knoss](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brett_knoss)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488/20 "2021-10-10T17:00:01Z")
Now, the problem is that “retained” is a correct value, so it should pass these tests.
[Next page](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictionaries-cant-find-keys/69488.md?page=2)