# getfield(::Dict,val)
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150
**Category:** New to Julia
**Tags:** dictionary
**Created:** [August 2, 2022, 8:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150 "2022-08-02T08:38:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Atiyah](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Atiyah)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2022, 8:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150/1 "2022-08-02T08:38:56Z")
The following code (from [here](https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/25750))
` Base.getproperty(d::Dict, s::Symbol) = s ∈ fieldnames(Dict) ? getfield(d, s) : getindex(d, s)`
makes a dictionary key symbols accessible like a struct fields, i.e.
```julia
julia> D = Dict(:a=>1,:x=>1.1,:arr=>[1,2,3],"str"=>2)
julia> D.x
1.1
```
However within REPL
```julia
julia> getfield(D,:x)
ERROR: type Dict has no field x
...
```
I want to understand why getfield(D,:x) does not work while it is working in the method implementation of Base.getproperty?
---
### Author:  [@Sukera](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Sukera)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2022, 9:03am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150/2 "2022-08-02T09:03:19Z")
It doesn’t - the symbol is only forwarded to `getfield` if its indeed a field name. Otherwise the result of `getindex` (i.e. `D[:x]`) is returned.
---
### Author:  [@Atiyah](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Atiyah)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2022, 9:34am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150/3 "2022-08-02T09:34:57Z")
Oops … yes I see it now, it is `fieldnames(Dict)` (though even `fieldnames(d)` is also not defined)
---
### Author:  [@Sukera](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Sukera)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2022, 9:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getfield-dict-val/85150/4 "2022-08-02T09:41:54Z")
That’s to be expected - `fieldnames` takes in a _type_, not an _instance_.