diff --git a/generate.go b/generate.go
index 2ef7c6c..2f7f029 100644
--- a/generate.go
+++ b/generate.go
@@ -197,6 +197,23 @@ func (pb *Files) makeNewSortfile(pf *File) error {
 		*/
 	}
 
+	// add Delete()
+	for _, s := range pf.ToSort {
+		PARENT := s.MsgName
+		CHILD := s.VarType
+		VARNAME := s.VarName
+
+		pmsg := pf.findMsg(s.MsgName)
+		if pmsg == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find struct %s", s.MsgName)
+		}
+
+		if PARENT == VARNAME {
+			funcdef := pmsg.addDeleteFunc(wSort, PARENT, VARNAME, CHILD)
+			log.Printf("Adding %s\n", funcdef)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// add Find() Delete() Append() Insert()
 	for _, s := range pf.ToSort {
 		PARENT := s.MsgName
diff --git a/generateDelete.go b/generateDelete.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96378eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generateDelete.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+// generate Delete() functions
+
+func (msg *MsgName) addDeleteFunc(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string) string {
+	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
+	funcdef := "func (x *" + FRUIT + ") Delete(y *" + APPLE + ") bool"
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, funcdef, "{")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for i, _ := range x."+APPLES+" {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if x."+APPLES+"[i] == y {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+"[i] = x."+APPLES+"[len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+" = x."+APPLES+"[:len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return true")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return false")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+
+	return funcdef
+}
+
+func (msg *MsgName) deleteBy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, FUNCNAME, VARNAME string) string {
+	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
+	funcdef := "func (x *" + FRUIT + ") " + FUNCNAME + "(s string) bool"
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, funcdef, "{")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for i, _ := range x."+APPLES+" {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if x."+APPLES+"[i]."+VARNAME+" == s {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+"[i] = x."+APPLES+"[len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+" = x."+APPLES+"[:len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return true")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return false")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+
+	return funcdef
+}
+
+// this tries to return the deleted one but is wrong/gives warning if mutex lock is in struct
+func (msg *MsgName) deleteByWithCopy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, FUNCNAME, VARNAME string) string {
+	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
+
+	funcdef := "func (x *" + FRUIT + ") " + FUNCNAME + "(s string) *" + APPLE
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// TESTING fails with 'go vet' warning")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, funcdef, "{")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	var newr "+APPLE)
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for i, _ := range x."+APPLES+" {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if x."+APPLES+"[i]."+VARNAME+" == s {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			newr = *x."+APPLES+"[i]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+"[i] = x."+APPLES+"[len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+" = x."+APPLES+"[:len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return &newr")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return nil")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+
+	return funcdef
+}
diff --git a/generateFind.go b/generateFind.go
index c3720af..31b50a3 100644
--- a/generateFind.go
+++ b/generateFind.go
@@ -37,76 +37,3 @@ func (msg *MsgName) generateFindBy(w io.Writer, FUNCNAME, STRUCT string, sortval
 
 	return funcdef
 }
-
-func (msg *MsgName) deleteBy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, FUNCNAME, VARNAME string) string {
-	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
-	funcdef := "func (x *" + FRUIT + ") " + FUNCNAME + "(s string) bool"
-
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, funcdef, "{")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for i, _ := range x."+APPLES+" {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if x."+APPLES+"[i]."+VARNAME+" == s {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+"[i] = x."+APPLES+"[len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+" = x."+APPLES+"[:len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return true")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return false")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-
-	return funcdef
-}
-
-// this tries to return the deleted one but is wrong/gives warning if mutex lock is in struct
-func (msg *MsgName) deleteByWithCopy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, FUNCNAME, VARNAME string) string {
-	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
-
-	funcdef := "func (x *" + FRUIT + ") " + FUNCNAME + "(s string) *" + APPLE
-
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// TESTING fails with 'go vet' warning")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, funcdef, "{")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	var newr "+APPLE)
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for i, _ := range x."+APPLES+" {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if x."+APPLES+"[i]."+VARNAME+" == s {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			newr = *x."+APPLES+"[i]")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+"[i] = x."+APPLES+"[len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			x."+APPLES+" = x."+APPLES+"[:len(x."+APPLES+")-1]")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return &newr")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return nil")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-
-	return funcdef
-}
-
-// new 2025 idea. useful? TODO: look at this again in 1y
-func (msg *MsgName) insertBy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string, COLOR string) {
-	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
-
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// returns an "+APPLE+" if "+COLOR+" matches, otherwise create")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (x *"+FRUIT+") InsertBy"+COLOR+" (y string) *"+APPLE+" {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for _, p := range x."+APPLES+" {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if p."+COLOR+" == y {")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return p")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	z := new("+APPLE+")")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	z."+COLOR+" = y")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	x."+APPLES+" = append(x."+APPLES+", z)")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return z")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-}
diff --git a/generateInsert.go b/generateInsert.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e84d7db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generateInsert.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+// new idea. useful? TODO: look at this again in 1y
+func (msg *MsgName) insertBy(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string, COLOR string) {
+	LOCK := msg.getLockname("x")
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "// returns an "+APPLE+" if "+COLOR+" matches, otherwise create")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (x *"+FRUIT+") InsertBy"+COLOR+" (y string) *"+APPLE+" {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+LOCK+".Lock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+LOCK+".Unlock()")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	for _, p := range x."+APPLES+" {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		if p."+COLOR+" == y {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "			return p")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "		}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	z := new("+APPLE+")")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	z."+COLOR+" = y")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	x."+APPLES+" = append(x."+APPLES+", z)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	return z")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "}")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+}