List.Contains Method
Determines whether an element is in the List.

Namespace: System.Collections.Generic
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax
Visual Basic (Declaration) 
Public Function Contains ( _
    item As T _
) As Boolean
Visual Basic (Usage) 
Dim instance As List(Of T)
Dim item As T
Dim returnValue As Boolean

returnValue = instance.Contains(item)
C# 
public bool Contains (
    T item
)
C++ 
public:
virtual bool Contains (
    T item
) sealed
J# 
public final boolean Contains (
    T item
)
JScript 
public final function Contains (
    item : T
) : boolean
XAML 
Not applicable.

Parameters

item

The object to locate in the List. The value can be a null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) for reference types.

Return Value

true if item is found in the List; otherwise, false.
Remarks

This method determines equality using the default equality comparer EqualityComparer.Default for T, the type of values in the list.

This method performs a linear search; therefore, this method is an O(n) operation, where n is Count.
Example

The following code example demonstrates the Contains method and various other properties and methods of the List generic class. After the list has been populated, the Contains method is used to search for an item.

Visual Basic 
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Example

    Public Shared Sub Main()

        Dim dinosaurs As New List(Of String)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)

        dinosaurs.Add("Tyrannosaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus")

        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each dinosaur As String In dinosaurs
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Contains(""Deinonychus""): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.Contains("Deinonychus"))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Insert(2, ""Compsognathus"")")
        dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each dinosaur As String In dinosaurs
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "dinosaurs(3): {0}", dinosaurs(3))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Remove(""Compsognathus"")")
        dinosaurs.Remove("Compsognathus")

        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each dinosaur As String In dinosaurs
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next

        dinosaurs.TrimExcess()
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "TrimExcess()")
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)

        dinosaurs.Clear()
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Clear()")
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)
    End Sub
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Capacity: 0
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'Capacity: 8
'Count: 5
'
'Contains("Deinonychus"): True
'
'Insert(2, "Compsognathus")
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Compsognathus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'dinosaurs(3): Mamenchisaurus
'
'Remove("Compsognathus")
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'TrimExcess()
'Capacity: 5
'Count: 5
'
'Clear()
'Capacity: 5
'Count: 0
C# 
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        List<string> dinosaurs = new List<string>();

        Console.WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);

        dinosaurs.Add("Tyrannosaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus");

        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach(string dinosaur in dinosaurs)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);

        Console.WriteLine("\nContains(\"Deinonychus\"): {0}",
            dinosaurs.Contains("Deinonychus"));

        Console.WriteLine("\nInsert(2, \"Compsognathus\")");
        dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Compsognathus");

        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach(string dinosaur in dinosaurs)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[3]: {0}", dinosaurs[3]);

        Console.WriteLine("\nRemove(\"Compsognathus\")");
        dinosaurs.Remove("Compsognathus");

        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach(string dinosaur in dinosaurs)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
        }

        dinosaurs.TrimExcess();
        Console.WriteLine("\nTrimExcess()");
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);

        dinosaurs.Clear();
        Console.WriteLine("\nClear()");
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 0

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

Capacity: 8
Count: 5

Contains("Deinonychus"): True

Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Compsognathus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

dinosaurs[3]: Mamenchisaurus

Remove("Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

TrimExcess()
Capacity: 5
Count: 5

Clear()
Capacity: 5
Count: 0
 */
C++ 
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;

void main()
{
    List<String^>^ dinosaurs = gcnew List<String^>();

    Console::WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);

    dinosaurs->Add("Tyrannosaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Amargasaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Mamenchisaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Deinonychus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Compsognathus");

    Console::WriteLine();
    for each(String^ dinosaur in dinosaurs )
    {
        Console::WriteLine(dinosaur);
    }

    Console::WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);

    Console::WriteLine("\nContains(\"Deinonychus\"): {0}",
        dinosaurs->Contains("Deinonychus"));

    Console::WriteLine("\nInsert(2, \"Compsognathus\")");
    dinosaurs->Insert(2, "Compsognathus");

    Console::WriteLine();
    for each(String^ dinosaur in dinosaurs )
    {
        Console::WriteLine(dinosaur);
    }

    Console::WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[3]: {0}", dinosaurs[3]);

    Console::WriteLine("\nRemove(\"Compsognathus\")");
    dinosaurs->Remove("Compsognathus");

    Console::WriteLine();
    for each(String^ dinosaur in dinosaurs )
    {
        Console::WriteLine(dinosaur);
    }

    dinosaurs->TrimExcess();
    Console::WriteLine("\nTrimExcess()");
    Console::WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);

    dinosaurs->Clear();
    Console::WriteLine("\nClear()");
    Console::WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 0

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

Capacity: 8
Count: 5

Contains("Deinonychus"): True

Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Compsognathus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

dinosaurs[3]: Mamenchisaurus

Remove("Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

TrimExcess()
Capacity: 5
Count: 5

Clear()
Capacity: 5
Count: 0
 */
Platforms

Windows 98, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 is supported on Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, and Windows Server 2003 SP1.

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 2.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 1.0
See Also
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