# get\_parent\_maps

Generates a dictionary copy of all the [MaciDataObj's](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object) currently mapped parent attribute name references to its children, and returns a dict of the maps. This method currently has no parameters.

Useful if it is desired to view or reference all parent attribute names with their child mappings.

{% hint style="info" %}
data.get\_parent\_maps()  ->  dict\[str, dict\[str, str]
{% endhint %}

\
*Basic Example of getting a dict of current parent mappings of the* [*MaciDataObj*](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object)

```python
dict_data = data.get_parent_maps()
```

In this example, we simply use the get\_parent\_maps method on the [MaciDataObj](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object) to get a generated copy of the current parent attribute names with their child mappings, currently held inside the maci object, as a dictionary, and assign the returned dict data to a variable.

Parent maps have their own dedicated key name. Example below shows maps with a basic reference.

*Example output of parent maps with basic references*

```python
{'attr1': {'attr2': 'attr1'}, 'attr2': {'attr3': 'attr2'}}
```

Parent maps will have their own parent key name matching its attribute name with a value to all child maps referencing the parent attribute name.

The values of the child maps will have their own child key name matching its attribute name with a value to the parent attribute name they are referencing. <br>

For more information on the mapping concept, see [Map Assignment Glyph](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/language/v1.0.0#map-assignment-glyph) in the language section and [map\_attr](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object/methods/map_attr).

### partner methods

Methods that provide related utility to this method

[map\_attr](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object/methods/map_attr)  ->  Map an attribute name\
[unmap\_attr](https://docs.macilib.org/docs/maci/object/methods/unmap_attr)  ->  Unmap an attribute name