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rhaj/_archive/rhai_engine/rhaibook/language/object-maps-missing-prop.md
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Non-Existent Property Handling for Object Maps
==============================================
{{#include ../links.md}}
[`Engine::on_map_missing_property`]: https://docs.rs/rhai/{{version}}/rhai/struct.Engine.html#method.on_map_missing_property
[`Target`]: https://docs.rs/rhai/latest/rhai/enum.Target.html
~~~admonish warning.small "Requires `internals`"
This is an advanced feature that requires the [`internals`] feature to be enabled.
~~~
Normally, when a property is accessed from an [object map] that does not exist, [`()`] is returned.
Via [`Engine:: set_fail_on_invalid_map_property`][options], it is possible to make this an error
instead.
Other than that, it is possible to completely control this behavior via a special callback function
registered into an [`Engine`] via `on_map_missing_property`.
Using this callback, for instance, it is simple to instruct Rhai to create a new property in the
[object map] on the fly, possibly with a default value, when a non-existent property is accessed.
Function Signature
------------------
The function signature passed to [`Engine::on_map_missing_property`] takes the following form.
> ```rust
> Fn(map: &mut Map, prop: &str, context: EvalContext) -> Result<Target, Box<EvalAltResult>>
> ```
where:
| Parameter | Type | Description |
| --------- | :----------------------: | ----------------------------------- |
| `map` | [`&mut Map`][object map] | the [object map] being accessed |
| `prop` | `&str` | name of the property being accessed |
| `context` | [`EvalContext`] | the current _evaluation context_ |
### Return value
The return value is `Result<Target, Box<EvalAltResult>>`.
[`Target`] is an advanced type, available only under the [`internals`] feature, that represents a
_reference_ to a [`Dynamic`] value.
It can be used to point to a particular value within the [object map].
Example
-------
```rust
engine.on_map_missing_property(|map, prop, context| {
match prop {
"x" => {
// The object-map can be modified in place
map.insert("y".into(), (42_i64).into());
// Return a mutable reference to an element
let value_ref = map.get_mut("y").unwrap();
Ok(value_ref.into())
}
"z" => {
// Return a temporary value (not a reference)
let value = Dynamic::from(100_i64);
Ok(value.into())
}
// Return the standard property-not-found error
_ => Err(EvalAltResult::ErrorPropertyNotFound(
prop.to_string(), Position::NONE
).into()),
}
});
```