Microsoft Developer Network
 Contains Method
.NET Framework Class Library
Collection<(Of <(T>)>)..::.Contains Method

Determines whether an element is in the Collection<(Of <(T>)>).

Namespace:  System.Collections.ObjectModel
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Function Contains ( _
    item As T _
) As Boolean
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As Collection
Dim item As T
Dim returnValue As Boolean

returnValue = instance.Contains(item)
C#
public bool Contains(
    T item
)
Visual C++
public:
virtual bool Contains(
    T item
) sealed
JScript
public final function Contains(
    item : T
) : boolean

Parameters

item
Type: T
The object to locate in the Collection<(Of <(T>)>). The value can be nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) for reference types.

Return Value

Type: System..::.Boolean
true if item is found in the Collection<(Of <(T>)>); otherwise, false.

Implements

ICollection<(Of <(T>)>)..::.Contains(T)

If the Collection<(Of <(T>)>) object is created using the default constructor, this method determines equality using the default equality comparer EqualityComparer<(Of <(T>)>)..::.Default for T, the type of values in the list. If type T does not implement the IEquatable<(Of <(T>)>) interface, the Equals method is used.

If the Collection object is created by passing an IList<(Of <(T>)>) object to the constructor, the Contains method will be determined by the IEqualityComparer<(Of <(T>)>) interface used by that IList<(Of <(T>)>) object.

This method performs a linear search; therefore, the average execution time is proportional to Count. That is, this method is an O(n) operation, where n is Count.

The following code example demonstrates many of the properties and methods of Collection<(Of <(T>)>). The code example creates a collection of strings, uses the Add method to add several strings, displays the Count, and lists the strings. The example uses the IndexOf method to find the index of a string and the Contains method to determine whether a string is in the collection. The example inserts a string using the Insert method and retrieves and sets strings using the default Item property (the indexer in C#). The example removes strings by string identity using the Remove method and by index using the RemoveAt method. Finally, the Clear method is used to clear all strings from the collection.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Collections.ObjectModel

Public Class Demo

    Public Shared Sub Main() 

        Dim dinosaurs As New Collection(Of String)

        dinosaurs.Add("Psitticosaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Caudipteryx")
        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Muttaburrasaurus")

        Console.WriteLine("{0} dinosaurs:", dinosaurs.Count)
        Display(dinosaurs)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "IndexOf(""Muttaburrasaurus""): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus"))

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

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "dinosaurs(2): {0}", dinosaurs(2))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "dinosaurs(2) = ""Microraptor""")
        dinosaurs(2) = "Microraptor"
        Display(dinosaurs)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Remove(""Microraptor"")")
        dinosaurs.Remove("Microraptor")
        Display(dinosaurs)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "RemoveAt(0)")
        dinosaurs.RemoveAt(0)
        Display(dinosaurs)

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

    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub Display(ByVal cs As Collection(Of String)) 
        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each item As String In cs
            Console.WriteLine(item)
        Next item
    End Sub
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'4 dinosaurs:
'
'Psitticosaurus
'Caudipteryx
'Compsognathus
'Muttaburrasaurus
'
'IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus"): 3
'
'Contains("Caudipteryx"): True
'
'Insert(2, "Nanotyrannus")
'
'Psitticosaurus
'Caudipteryx
'Nanotyrannus
'Compsognathus
'Muttaburrasaurus
'
'dinosaurs(2): Nanotyrannus
'
'dinosaurs(2) = "Microraptor"
'
'Psitticosaurus
'Caudipteryx
'Microraptor
'Compsognathus
'Muttaburrasaurus
'
'Remove("Microraptor")
'
'Psitticosaurus
'Caudipteryx
'Compsognathus
'Muttaburrasaurus
'
'RemoveAt(0)
'
'Caudipteryx
'Compsognathus
'Muttaburrasaurus
'
'dinosaurs.Clear()
'Count: 0
C#
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;

public class Demo
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Collection<string> dinosaurs = new Collection<string>();

        dinosaurs.Add("Psitticosaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Caudipteryx");
        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Muttaburrasaurus");

        Console.WriteLine("{0} dinosaurs:", dinosaurs.Count);
        Display(dinosaurs);

        Console.WriteLine("\nIndexOf(\"Muttaburrasaurus\"): {0}", 
            dinosaurs.IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus"));

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

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

        Console.WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[2]: {0}", dinosaurs[2]);

        Console.WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[2] = \"Microraptor\"");
        dinosaurs[2] = "Microraptor";
        Display(dinosaurs);

        Console.WriteLine("\nRemove(\"Microraptor\")");
        dinosaurs.Remove("Microraptor");
        Display(dinosaurs);

        Console.WriteLine("\nRemoveAt(0)");
        dinosaurs.RemoveAt(0);
        Display(dinosaurs);

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

    private static void Display(Collection<string> cs)
    {
        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach( string item in cs )
        {
            Console.WriteLine(item);
        }
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

4 dinosaurs:

Psitticosaurus
Caudipteryx
Compsognathus
Muttaburrasaurus

IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus"): 3

Contains("Caudipteryx"): True

Insert(2, "Nanotyrannus")

Psitticosaurus
Caudipteryx
Nanotyrannus
Compsognathus
Muttaburrasaurus

dinosaurs[2]: Nanotyrannus

dinosaurs[2] = "Microraptor"

Psitticosaurus
Caudipteryx
Microraptor
Compsognathus
Muttaburrasaurus

Remove("Microraptor")

Psitticosaurus
Caudipteryx
Compsognathus
Muttaburrasaurus

RemoveAt(0)

Caudipteryx
Compsognathus
Muttaburrasaurus

dinosaurs.Clear()
Count: 0
 */

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0
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custom objects      locutus_borg   |   Edit   |   Show History
In a lot of sample docs you will see generic types like string that have default comparison and equality behavior. I think the documentation could/should be improved if custom objects samples were included.

The reason I dislike code examples like this is that they do not represent the intent of implementing the interface. We are talking about implementing IEquitable and there is no reason to do this for a collection of string, because the default behavior "just works". What users really want to see is an implementation of this interface against a custom type!

If you have a custom object, you implement IEquitable(If T)

Public Class TextBody

Implements IEquatable(Of TextBody)

Now your collection of that T, will be able to call the contains method that is automatically inserted as a stubbed function when you hit enter.

Now you fill in the function

Public Function Equals1(ByVal other As TextBody) As Boolean Implements System.IEquatable(Of TextBody).Equals
Return (Me._adText = other.adText) And (Me._adBody = other.adText)
End Function
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