# Is there a \`find\_include\`/\`find\_header\` function similar to \`Libdl\`'s \`find\_library\` function?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/is-there-a-find-include-find-header-function-similar-to-libdl-s-find-library-function/48145>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Created:** [October 11, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/is-there-a-find-include-find-header-function-similar-to-libdl-s-find-library-function/48145 "2020-10-11T06:15:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sloede](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sloede/32/44787_2.png) [@sloede](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sloede)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/is-there-a-find-include-find-header-function-similar-to-libdl-s-find-library-function/48145/1 "2020-10-11T06:15:31Z")

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In [trixi-framework/P4est.jl#9](https://github.com/trixi-framework/P4est.jl/pull/9) we are trying to allow swapping the p4est library backend at package build time, similar to what MPI.jl [does](https://juliaparallel.github.io/MPI.jl/latest/configuration/#Using-a-system-provided-MPI). However, in addition to the library itself we require the corresponding header files, since we automatically generate the C bindings at build time using [CBindingGen.jl](https://github.com/analytech-solutions/CBindingGen.jl).

MPI.jl relies on `find_library` in [deps/build.jl](https://github.com/JuliaParallel/MPI.jl/blob/master/deps/build.jl) to try to find a system-installed MPI library. Is there a similar function `find_include` (or `find_header`) available that can help us with the header files?