List.ToArray Method (System.Collections.Generic)

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Classic
Lightweight
ScriptFree
List.ToArray Method
Copies the elements of the List to a new array.

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

Syntax
Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Function ToArray As T()
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As List(Of T)
Dim returnValue As T()

returnValue = instance.ToArray
C#
public T[] ToArray ()
C++
public:
array<T>^ ToArray ()
J#
public T[] ToArray ()
JScript
public function ToArray () : T[]
XAML
Not applicable.

Return Value

An array containing copies of the elements of the List.
Remarks

The elements are copied using System.Array.Copy, which is an O(n) operation, where n is Count.

This method is an O(n) operation, where n is Count.

Example

The following code example demonstrates the ToArray method and other methods of the List class that act on ranges. At the end of the code example, the GetRange method is used to get three items from the list, beginning with index location 2. The ToArray method is called on the resulting List, creating an array of three elements. The elements of the array are displayed.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Example

    Public Shared Sub Main()

        Dim input() As String = { "Brachiosaurus", _
                                  "Amargasaurus", _
                                  "Mamenchisaurus" }

        Dim dinosaurs As New List(Of String)(input)

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

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "AddRange(dinosaurs)")
        dinosaurs.AddRange(dinosaurs)

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "RemoveRange(2, 2)")
        dinosaurs.RemoveRange(2, 2)

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

        input = New String() { "Tyrannosaurus", _
                               "Deinonychus", _
                               "Velociraptor" }

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "InsertRange(3, input)")
        dinosaurs.InsertRange(3, input)

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "output = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray")
        Dim output() As String = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray()
        
        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each dinosaur As String In output
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next

    End Sub
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Capacity: 3
'
'Brachiosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'
'AddRange(dinosaurs)
'
'Brachiosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Brachiosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'
'RemoveRange(2, 2)
'
'Brachiosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'
'InsertRange(3, input)
'
'Brachiosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Tyrannosaurus
'Deinonychus
'Velociraptor
'Mamenchisaurus
'
'output = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray
'
'Amargasaurus
'Tyrannosaurus
'Deinonychus
C#
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        string[] input = { "Brachiosaurus", 
                           "Amargasaurus", 
                           "Mamenchisaurus" };

        List<string> dinosaurs = new List<string>(input);

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

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

        Console.WriteLine("\nAddRange(dinosaurs)");
        dinosaurs.AddRange(dinosaurs);

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

        Console.WriteLine("\nRemoveRange(2, 2)");
        dinosaurs.RemoveRange(2, 2);

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

        input = new string[] { "Tyrannosaurus", 
                               "Deinonychus", 
                               "Velociraptor"};

        Console.WriteLine("\nInsertRange(3, input)");
        dinosaurs.InsertRange(3, input);

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

        Console.WriteLine("\noutput = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray()");
        string[] output = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray();
        
        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach( string dinosaur in output )
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
        }
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 3

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

AddRange(dinosaurs)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

RemoveRange(2, 2)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

InsertRange(3, input)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Amargasaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Deinonychus
Velociraptor
Mamenchisaurus

output = dinosaurs.GetRange(2, 3).ToArray()

Amargasaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Deinonychus
 */
C++
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;

void main()
{
    array<String^>^ input = { "Brachiosaurus", 
                              "Amargasaurus", 
                              "Mamenchisaurus" };

    List<String^>^ dinosaurs = 
        gcnew List<String^>((IEnumerable<String^>^) input);

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

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

    Console::WriteLine("\nAddRange(dinosaurs)");
    dinosaurs->AddRange(dinosaurs);

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

    Console::WriteLine("\nRemoveRange(2, 2)");
    dinosaurs->RemoveRange(2, 2);

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

    input = gcnew array<String^> { "Tyrannosaurus", 
                                   "Deinonychus", 
                                   "Velociraptor"};

    Console::WriteLine("\nInsertRange(3, (IEnumerable<String^>^) input)");
    dinosaurs->InsertRange(3, (IEnumerable<String^>^) input);

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

    Console::WriteLine("\noutput = dinosaurs->GetRange(2, 3)->ToArray()");
    array<String^>^ output = dinosaurs->GetRange(2, 3)->ToArray();
        
    Console::WriteLine();
    for each(String^ dinosaur in output )
    {
        Console::WriteLine(dinosaur);
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 3

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

AddRange(dinosaurs)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

RemoveRange(2, 2)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus

InsertRange(3, (IEnumerable<String^>^) input)

Brachiosaurus
Amargasaurus
Amargasaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Deinonychus
Velociraptor
Mamenchisaurus

output = dinosaurs->GetRange(2, 3)->ToArray()

Amargasaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Deinonychus
 */
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
Community Content

ion.lamasanu
small example

If you had been doing a small test you would have seen it is not null. So

Console.WriteLine( new List<string>().ToArray().Length);

outputs 0.


somos
Looks like some information is missing
What happens when the List does not contains elements? null is returned? an empty array?