diff --git a/generate.go b/generate.go
index 458e6ac..16f2c43 100644
--- a/generate.go
+++ b/generate.go
@@ -231,23 +231,32 @@ func (pb *Files) makeNewSortfile(pf *File) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find struct %s", s.VarType)
 		}
 
-		var ucount int
-		// append() functions
+		// find()
 		for _, v := range msg.Vars {
 			if v.IsRepeated {
 				continue
 			}
-			if !v.HasUnique {
-				continue
+			if v.HasUnique {
+				// funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName + "(a " + v.VarType + ") *" + s.VarType + "(using" + v.VarName + ")"
+				// log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
+				var FUNCNAME string
+				if PARENT == VARNAME {
+					// special case because of the enforced .proto format
+					FUNCNAME = "Find" + v.VarName
+				} else {
+					FUNCNAME = "Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
+				}
+
+				funcdef := msg.generateFindBy(wSort, FUNCNAME, PARENT, VARNAME, s.VarType, v.VarName)
+				// func (msg *MsgName) generateFindBy(w io.Writer, FUNCNAME, STRUCT, VARNAME, VARTYPE, COLOR string) string {
+				log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "done", "", funcdef)
+			} else {
+				if v.VarType == "string" {
+					// probably dumb. move to a database if you need this
+					// funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName + "(a string) []*" + s.VarType + "  ???"
+					// log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
+				}
 			}
-			ucount += 1
-			// funcname := "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Append" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName + "(" + v.VarType + ")"
-			// log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
-			// func (msg *MsgName) addAppendBy(w io.Writer, STRUCT, FUNCNAME, VARNAME, CHILD, COLOR string) string {
-			// func (msg *MsgName) addAppendBy(w io.Writer, STRUCT, FUNCNAME, STRUCTVAR, VARNAME, VARTYPE string) string {
-			FUNCNAME := "Append" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
-			funcdef := msg.addAppendBy(wSort, PARENT, FUNCNAME, VARNAME, v.VarName, s.VarType)
-			log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "done", "", funcdef)
 		}
 
 		// delete() functions
@@ -264,7 +273,13 @@ func (pb *Files) makeNewSortfile(pf *File) error {
 			APPLES := VARNAME
 			APPLE := v.VarName
 			COLOR := v.VarType
-			FUNCNAME := "Delete" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
+			var FUNCNAME string
+			if PARENT == VARNAME {
+				// special case because of the enforced .proto format
+				FUNCNAME = "Delete" + v.VarName
+			} else {
+				FUNCNAME = "Delete" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
+			}
 			var funcdef string
 			if argv.Delete {
 				funcdef = msg.deleteByWithCopy(wSort, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, FUNCNAME, v.VarName)
@@ -274,36 +289,38 @@ func (pb *Files) makeNewSortfile(pf *File) error {
 			log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "done", "", funcdef)
 		}
 
+		var ucount int
+		// append() functions. these need to be rethought
 		for _, v := range msg.Vars {
 			if v.IsRepeated {
 				continue
 			}
-			if v.HasUnique {
-				funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName + "(a " + v.VarType + ") *" + s.VarType + "(using" + v.VarName + ")"
-				log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
-
-				FUNCNAME := "Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
-				funcdef := msg.generateFindBy(wSort, FUNCNAME, PARENT, VARNAME, s.VarType, v.VarName)
-				// func (msg *MsgName) generateFindBy(w io.Writer, FUNCNAME, STRUCT, VARNAME, VARTYPE, COLOR string) string {
-				log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "done", "", funcdef)
-			} else {
-				if v.VarType == "string" {
-					funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Find" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName + "(a string) []*" + s.VarType + "  ???"
-					log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
-				}
+			if !v.HasUnique {
+				continue
 			}
+			ucount += 1
+			var FUNCNAME string
+			if PARENT == VARNAME {
+				// special case because of the enforced .proto format
+				FUNCNAME = "Append" + v.VarName
+			} else {
+				FUNCNAME = "Append" + VARNAME + "By" + v.VarName
+			}
+			funcdef := msg.addAppendBy(wSort, PARENT, FUNCNAME, VARNAME, v.VarName, s.VarType)
+			log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "done", "", funcdef)
 		}
+
 		if ucount == 1 {
 			for _, v := range msg.Vars {
 				if !v.HasUnique {
 					continue
 				}
-				funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Insert(a *" + v.VarType + ") (*" + CHILD + ", isNew bool)"
+				funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Insert(a *" + v.VarType + ") (*" + CHILD + ", isNew bool) // todo"
 				log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
 			}
 		}
 		if ucount > 1 {
-			funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Insert(a *" + CHILD + ") (*" + CHILD + ", isNew bool)"
+			funcname = "func (x *" + PARENT + ") Insert(a *" + CHILD + ") (*" + CHILD + ", isNew bool) // todo"
 			log.Printf("      %-2s %20s %20s %20s %s %s\n", "", "", "", "", "", funcname)
 		}
 
@@ -346,88 +363,6 @@ func (pf *File) specialBases(wFind io.Writer) {
 }
 
 /*
-
-// to simplify being able to read the code, FRUIT, APPLES and APPLE are used
-// FRUIT == the string name of the message in the protobuf file
-// APPLE == the type of the repeated variable
-// APPLES == the variable name of the repeated struct
-func (pf *File) processMessage(parent *MsgName, wSort, wFind io.Writer) error {
-	var FRUIT string = cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(parent.Name)
-	var LOCK string = parent.Lockname
-
-	log.Printf("Generating functions for %s\n", FRUIT)
-
-	for _, v := range parent.Vars {
-		if !v.IsRepeated {
-			// log.Printf("\tSKIP %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType)
-			continue
-		}
-		log.Printf("\tFOUND REPEATED %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType)
-		// use easier to read variable names APPLE and APPLES in the code
-		var APPLE string = v.VarType
-		var APPLES string = cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(v.VarName)
-
-		// try and find the message struct for APPLE
-		var found *MsgName
-		if pf.Base.Name == APPLE {
-			found = pf.Base
-		}
-		for _, m := range pf.MsgNames {
-			if m.Name == APPLE {
-				found = m
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		if found == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find struct %s", APPLE)
-		}
-
-		log.Printf("FOUND: %s %s for %s\n", APPLES, APPLE, FRUIT)
-
-		found.addFindByMsg(wFind, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, LOCK)
-		found.addAppendByMsg(wFind, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE)
-		found.addDeleteByMsg(wFind, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE)
-		found.addInsertByMsg(wFind, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE) // new idea
-
-		found.addSortByMsg(wSort, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-*/
-
-/*
-func (parent *MsgName) addFindByMsg(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, LOCK string) {
-	for _, v := range parent.Vars {
-		if v.HasUnique {
-			var COLOR string = cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(v.VarName)
-			log.Printf("\tFIND: (x %s) FindBy%s(string) *%s\n", FRUIT, COLOR, APPLE)
-			generateFindBy(w, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR, LOCK)
-		}
-	}
-}
-*/
-
-/*
-func (parent *MsgName) addDeleteByMsg(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string) {
-	// log.Printf("\tDELETE: %s %s for %s\n", APPLES, APPLE, FRUIT)
-	var COLORS []string
-	for _, v := range parent.Vars {
-		if !v.HasUnique {
-			continue
-		}
-		var COLOR string = cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(v.VarName)
-		COLORS = append(COLORS, COLOR)
-
-		log.Printf("\tDELETE: (x %s) DeleteBy%s(string) *%s\n", FRUIT, COLOR, APPLE)
-		if argv.Delete {
-			parent.deleteByWithCopy(w, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR)
-		} else {
-			parent.deleteBy(w, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE, COLOR)
-		}
-	}
-}
-*/
-
 func (parent *MsgName) addInsertByMsg(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string) {
 	// log.Printf("\tINSERT: %s %s for %s\n", APPLES, APPLE, FRUIT)
 	for _, v := range parent.Vars {
@@ -468,3 +403,4 @@ func (parent *MsgName) addSortByMsg(w io.Writer, FRUIT, APPLES, APPLE string) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+*/