> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bxorm.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://bxorm.ortusbooks.com/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbyexample.md).

# EntityLoadByExample

Load entities matching an example entity

Load entities matching an example entity.

Every property of the example that has a value becomes an equality match. These are left out of the match:

* the id properties
* the version property
* associations
* properties that are `null`

With `unique=true`, the first match is returned (or `null`). Several matches do not raise a non-unique error.

## Method Signature

```
EntityLoadByExample(sampleEntity=[any], unique=[boolean])
```

### Arguments

| Argument       | Type      | Required | Description                                                       | Default |
| -------------- | --------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `sampleEntity` | `any`     | `true`   | Instance of an ORM entity to use as an example for the query.     |         |
| `unique`       | `boolean` | `false`  | Return the first match (true) or an array of all matches (false). | `false` |

## Examples

Load all matching entities using a sample entity as the filter.

```java
sample = entityNew( "Manufacturer", { name: "Honda" } );
matches = entityLoadByExample( sample );
```

Pass `unique=true` to return a single matching entity:

```java
sample = entityNew( "Manufacturer", { name: "Honda" } );
singleMatch = entityLoadByExample( sample, true );
```

## Related

* [EntityCriteria](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitycriteria.md)
* [EntityDelete](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitydelete.md)
* [EntityEvict](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityevict.md)
* [EntityGetDatasource](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetdatasource.md)
* [EntityGetDirtyProperties](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetdirtyproperties.md)
* [EntityGetId](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetid.md)
* [EntityGetMetadata](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetmetadata.md)
* [EntityGetName](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetname.md)
* [EntityGetReference](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetreference.md)
* [EntityIsAttached](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityisattached.md)
* [EntityIsDirty](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityisdirty.md)
* [EntityLoad](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityload.md)
* [EntityLoadAsStruct](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadasstruct.md)
* [EntityLoadByPK](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbypk.md)
* [EntityLoadByPKOrFail](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbypkorfail.md)
* [EntityLoadOrFail](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadorfail.md)
* [EntityLoadOrNew](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadornew.md)
* [EntityLoadOrSave](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadorsave.md)
* [EntityLoadReadOnly](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadreadonly.md)
* [EntityLock](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitylock.md)
* [EntityMerge](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitymerge.md)
* [EntityNameArray](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynamearray.md)
* [EntityNameList](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynamelist.md)
* [EntityNew](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynew.md)
* [EntityReload](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityreload.md)
* [EntitySave](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitysave.md)
* [EntityToQuery](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitytoquery.md)
* [EntityToStruct](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitytostruct.md)
* [ORMClearSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormclearsession.md)
* [ORMCloseAllSessions](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormcloseallsessions.md)
* [ORMCloseSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormclosesession.md)
* [ORMDiagnostics](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormdiagnostics.md)
* [ORMEvictCollection](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictcollection.md)
* [ORMEvictEntity](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictentity.md)
* [ORMEvictQueries](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictqueries.md)
* [ORMExecuteQuery](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormexecutequery.md)
* [ORMFlush](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormflush.md)
* [ORMFlushAll](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormflushall.md)
* [ORMGetHibernateVersion](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgethibernateversion.md)
* [ORMGetSQLFunctions](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsqlfunctions.md)
* [ORMGetSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsession.md)
* [ORMGetSessionFactory](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsessionfactory.md)
* [ORMGetSessionStatistics](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsessionstatistics.md)
* [ORMIsSessionDirty](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormissessiondirty.md)
* [ORMReadOnly](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormreadonly.md)
* [ORMReload](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormreload.md)


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