Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.Item[TKey] Property

Definition

Gets or sets the value associated with the specified key.

public:
 property TValue default[TKey] { TValue get(TKey key); void set(TKey key, TValue value); };
public TValue this[TKey key] { get; set; }
member this.Item('Key) : 'Value with get, set
Default Public Property Item(key As TKey) As TValue

Parameters

key
TKey

The key of the value to get or set.

Property Value

TValue

The value associated with the specified key. If the specified key is not found, a get operation throws a KeyNotFoundException, and a set operation creates a new element with the specified key.

Implements

Exceptions

key is null.

The property is retrieved and key does not exist in the collection.

Examples

The following code example uses the Item[] property (the indexer in C#) to retrieve values, demonstrating that a KeyNotFoundException is thrown when a requested key is not present, and showing that the value associated with a key can be replaced.

The example also shows how to use the TryGetValue method as a more efficient way to retrieve values if a program often must try key values that are not in the dictionary.

This code example is part of a larger example provided for the Dictionary<TKey,TValue> class. openWith is the name of the Dictionary used in this example.

// Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys.
//
Dictionary<String^, String^>^ openWith =
    gcnew Dictionary<String^, String^>();

// Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no
// duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
openWith->Add("txt", "notepad.exe");
openWith->Add("bmp", "paint.exe");
openWith->Add("dib", "paint.exe");
openWith->Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe");

// The Add method throws an exception if the new key is
// already in the dictionary.
try
{
    openWith->Add("txt", "winword.exe");
}
catch (ArgumentException^)
{
    Console::WriteLine("An element with Key = \"txt\" already exists.");
}
// Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys.
//
Dictionary<string, string> openWith =
    new Dictionary<string, string>();

// Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no
// duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
openWith.Add("txt", "notepad.exe");
openWith.Add("bmp", "paint.exe");
openWith.Add("dib", "paint.exe");
openWith.Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe");

// The Add method throws an exception if the new key is
// already in the dictionary.
try
{
    openWith.Add("txt", "winword.exe");
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
    Console.WriteLine("An element with Key = \"txt\" already exists.");
}
' Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys.
'
Dim openWith As New Dictionary(Of String, String)

' Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no 
' duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
openWith.Add("txt", "notepad.exe")
openWith.Add("bmp", "paint.exe")
openWith.Add("dib", "paint.exe")
openWith.Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe")

' The Add method throws an exception if the new key is 
' already in the dictionary.
Try
    openWith.Add("txt", "winword.exe")
Catch 
    Console.WriteLine("An element with Key = ""txt"" already exists.")
End Try
// The Item property is another name for the indexer, so you
// can omit its name when accessing elements.
Console::WriteLine("For key = \"rtf\", value = {0}.",
    openWith["rtf"]);

// The indexer can be used to change the value associated
// with a key.
openWith["rtf"] = "winword.exe";
Console::WriteLine("For key = \"rtf\", value = {0}.",
    openWith["rtf"]);

// If a key does not exist, setting the indexer for that key
// adds a new key/value pair.
openWith["doc"] = "winword.exe";
// The Item property is another name for the indexer, so you
// can omit its name when accessing elements.
Console.WriteLine("For key = \"rtf\", value = {0}.",
    openWith["rtf"]);

// The indexer can be used to change the value associated
// with a key.
openWith["rtf"] = "winword.exe";
Console.WriteLine("For key = \"rtf\", value = {0}.",
    openWith["rtf"]);

// If a key does not exist, setting the indexer for that key
// adds a new key/value pair.
openWith["doc"] = "winword.exe";
' The Item property is the default property, so you 
' can omit its name when accessing elements. 
Console.WriteLine("For key = ""rtf"", value = {0}.", _
    openWith("rtf"))

' The default Item property can be used to change the value
' associated with a key.
openWith("rtf") = "winword.exe"
Console.WriteLine("For key = ""rtf"", value = {0}.", _
    openWith("rtf"))

' If a key does not exist, setting the default Item property
' for that key adds a new key/value pair.
openWith("doc") = "winword.exe"
// The indexer throws an exception if the requested key is
// not in the dictionary.
try
{
    Console::WriteLine("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.",
        openWith["tif"]);
}
catch (KeyNotFoundException^)
{
    Console::WriteLine("Key = \"tif\" is not found.");
}
// The indexer throws an exception if the requested key is
// not in the dictionary.
try
{
    Console.WriteLine("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.",
        openWith["tif"]);
}
catch (KeyNotFoundException)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Key = \"tif\" is not found.");
}
' The default Item property throws an exception if the requested
' key is not in the dictionary.
Try
    Console.WriteLine("For key = ""tif"", value = {0}.", _
        openWith("tif"))
Catch 
    Console.WriteLine("Key = ""tif"" is not found.")
End Try
// When a program often has to try keys that turn out not to
// be in the dictionary, TryGetValue can be a more efficient
// way to retrieve values.
String^ value = "";
if (openWith->TryGetValue("tif", value))
{
    Console::WriteLine("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.", value);
}
else
{
    Console::WriteLine("Key = \"tif\" is not found.");
}
// When a program often has to try keys that turn out not to
// be in the dictionary, TryGetValue can be a more efficient
// way to retrieve values.
string value = "";
if (openWith.TryGetValue("tif", out value))
{
    Console.WriteLine("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.", value);
}
else
{
    Console.WriteLine("Key = \"tif\" is not found.");
}
' When a program often has to try keys that turn out not to
' be in the dictionary, TryGetValue can be a more efficient 
' way to retrieve values.
Dim value As String = ""
If openWith.TryGetValue("tif", value) Then
    Console.WriteLine("For key = ""tif"", value = {0}.", value)
Else
    Console.WriteLine("Key = ""tif"" is not found.")
End If

Remarks

This property provides the ability to access a specific element in the collection by using the following C# syntax: myCollection[key] (myCollection(key) in Visual Basic).

You can also use the Item[] property to add new elements by setting the value of a key that does not exist in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>. When you set the property value, if the key is in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>, the value associated with that key is replaced by the assigned value. If the key is not in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>, the key and value are added to the dictionary. In contrast, the Add method does not modify existing elements.

A key cannot be null, but a value can be, if the value type TValue is a reference type.

The C# language uses the this keyword to define the indexers instead of implementing the Item[] property. Visual Basic implements Item[] as a default property, which provides the same indexing functionality.

Getting or setting the value of this property approaches an O(1) operation.

Applies to

See also