# Finding unique/distinct values in a list
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183
**Category:** Coding Questions
**Created:** [December 6, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183 "2019-12-06T17:39:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lehmoxy](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Lehmoxy)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183/1 "2019-12-06T17:39:36Z")
Hello all,
I’m wondering if there is a function in processing to find unique/distinct values in arrays/lists. I am trying to make a dropdown menu from an imported data set. For example, if I have an array of 5 elements that contains “bear”, “deer”, “moose”, “moose”, “deer”, I want the function to return “bear”, “deer”, and “moose”. I’m trying to avoid writing my own function.
Many thanks!
---
### Author:  [@Chrisir](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Chrisir)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183/2 "2019-12-06T17:55:47Z")
It’s not really hard when you use hashmap
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### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183/3 "2019-12-06T18:36:45Z")
[Processing.org/reference/StringList\_hasValue\_.html](http://Processing.org/reference/StringList_hasValue_.html)
[Processing.org/reference/StringList\_append\_.html](http://Processing.org/reference/StringList_append_.html)
[Processing.org/reference/StringList\_array\_.html](http://Processing.org/reference/StringList_array_.html)
```auto
String[] animals = { "bear", "deer", "moose", "moose", "deer" };
StringList unique = new StringList();
println(animals);
for (final String a : animals) if (!unique.hasValue(a)) unique.append(a);
animals = unique.array();
println(animals);
exit();
```
---
### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/finding-unique-distinct-values-in-a-list/16183/4 "2019-12-06T18:43:34Z")
[Processing.GitHub.io/processing-javadocs/core/processing/data/StringList.html#getUnique--](http://Processing.GitHub.io/processing-javadocs/core/processing/data/StringList.html#getUnique--)
```auto
String[] animals = { "bear", "deer", "moose", "moose", "deer" };
println(animals);
animals = new StringList(animals).getUnique();
println(animals);
exit();
```