# Result API
You can get a list of Result object from the ResultsManager using a named-results name or a reference. What you get back is the results from each csvpath executed in a single run. Once you have the list of results there is a lot of information available to you, most of which is also available from the result files in each csvpath instance's folder.
Run directories contain csvpath instance folders that contain results files
### Get a list of named-results
Listing all named-results is not the same as listing runs. Each named-result is one directory in a flat list that is equal to the list of named-paths groups that have been run at least one time. Each name on the list may have had any number of runs.
```python
results:list[str] = CsvPaths().results_manager.list_named_results()
```
### Get the results from a single run
Each run creates a set of one or more Result objects. Each Result object represents one csvpath in the named-paths group that was run against a single file. You can get the run's Result objects with:
```python
results:list[Result] = CsvPaths().results_manager.get_named_results("orders")
```
The results returned are from the most recent run. Alternatively, you can get a specific run's results using a results reference:
```python
results:list[Result] = CsvPaths().results_manager.get_named_results("$orders.results.2025-03-01_10:3")")
```
In this case, we are pulling results for the `orders` run on March 1st, 2025 at or after 10:30 AM UTC. If there are multiple `orders` runs on March 1st, 2025 at or after 10:30 AM UTC the reference is not specific enough so the method returns None. If that were the case we would need to either use `:first`, `:last`, or an index pointer like `:3,` or we could use a more specific timestamp.
### Get a specific csvpath instance from a run
To get a specific instance csvpath results you can use a reference like:
```python
result = paths.results_manager.get_specific_named_result("$food#candy check.results.:0")
```
Or like:
```python
result = paths.results_manager.get_specific_named_result("$food.results.2025.candy check")
```
The more common syntax is as in the latter example: `$named-results-name.results.run_dir-match.instance-match` where:
* named-results-name is, as it sounds, any named-results name
* `results` is the datatype pointing to the published results area
* run\_dir-match is a path or timestamp match to the run's folder. This value can have pointers. In the example we're just matching the first part of the run\_dir name, `2025`, and taking the first run found.
* instance-match is the identity of the csvpath that created the results you want, or an index pointer
Equally, but less commonly, we can use the `#` character to add the instance name to the named-results name. In the first example we have `food#candy check`, indicating the `food` named-results's `candy check` instance, and the pointer `:0` indicating which run.
### Access the manifest of an individual csvpath within a run
Runs have manifests containing metadata about the run. Each csvpath instance within a run has its own manifest with metadata specific to that particular csvpath within the context of the run.
```python
result = paths.results_manager.get_named_results("$food.files.:today:last.candy check")
mani = result.manifest
```
### A few more important Result properties
```python
result = paths.results_manager.get_named_results("$food.files.:today:last.candy check")
#
# the identity of a csvpath is set in its external comments. if no identity is set
# we address it by its index within the named-paths group
#
result.identity_or_index
result.errors
result.variables
result.metadata
result.printouts
```
Errors, variables, and metadata are dicts\[str, Any]. Printouts are list\[list\[str]].
#### A csvpath's identity
The identity of a csvpath is used in several places. You have seen how we use the identity in references. Identity is also important in the built-in error messages that CsvPath Validation Language emits when data is invalid or there is a mistake in the csvpath statement. You set a csvpath's identity in an external comment. An external comment is one that is outside the scanning and match instructions. They look like this:
```xquery
~
this is an external comment
ID: this is my identity
~
$[*][ yes() ~ this is an internal comment ~ ]
```
You can set an identity using a comment metadata field — i.e. a word followed by a colon — where the metadata name is any of: ID, Id, id, NAME, Name, name. If no identity is found CsvPath Framework knows the csvpath by its index within its named-paths group.
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