StringCollection Class
.NET Framework Class Library
StringCollection Class

Represents a collection of strings.

Namespace:  System.Collections.Specialized
Assembly:  System (in System.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<SerializableAttribute> _
Public Class StringCollection _
    Implements IList, ICollection, IEnumerable
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As StringCollection
C#
[SerializableAttribute]
public class StringCollection : IList, 
    ICollection, IEnumerable
Visual C++
[SerializableAttribute]
public ref class StringCollection : IList, 
    ICollection, IEnumerable
JScript
public class StringCollection implements IList, ICollection, IEnumerable

StringCollection accepts nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) as a valid value and allows duplicate elements.

String comparisons are case-sensitive.

Elements in this collection can be accessed using an integer index. Indexes in this collection are zero-based.

The following code example demonstrates several of the properties and methods of StringCollection.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Collections.Specialized

Public Class SamplesStringCollection

   Public Shared Sub Main()

      ' Create and initializes a new StringCollection.
      Dim myCol As New StringCollection()

      ' Add a range of elements from an array to the end of the StringCollection.
      Dim myArr() As String = {"RED", "orange", "yellow", "RED", "green", "blue", "RED", "indigo", "violet", "RED"}
      myCol.AddRange(myArr)

      ' Display the contents of the collection using foreach. This is the preferred method.
      Console.WriteLine("Displays the elements using foreach:")
      PrintValues1(myCol)

      ' Display the contents of the collection using the enumerator.
      Console.WriteLine("Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:")
      PrintValues2(myCol)

      ' Display the contents of the collection using the Count and Item properties.
      Console.WriteLine("Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:")
      PrintValues3(myCol)

      ' Add one element to the end of the StringCollection and insert another at index 3.
      myCol.Add("* white")
      myCol.Insert(3, "* gray")

      Console.WriteLine("After adding ""* white"" to the end and inserting ""* gray"" at index 3:")
      PrintValues1(myCol)

      ' Remove one element from the StringCollection.
      myCol.Remove("yellow")

      Console.WriteLine("After removing ""yellow"":")
      PrintValues1(myCol)

      ' Remove all occurrences of a value from the StringCollection.
      Dim i As Integer = myCol.IndexOf("RED")
      While i > - 1
         myCol.RemoveAt(i)
         i = myCol.IndexOf("RED")
      End While

      ' Verify that all occurrences of "RED" are gone.
      If myCol.Contains("RED") Then
         Console.WriteLine("*** The collection still contains ""RED"".")
      End If 
      Console.WriteLine("After removing all occurrences of ""RED"":")
      PrintValues1(myCol)

      ' Copy the collection to a new array starting at index 0.
      Dim myArr2(myCol.Count) As String
      myCol.CopyTo(myArr2, 0)

      Console.WriteLine("The new array contains:")
      For i = 0 To myArr2.Length - 1
         Console.WriteLine("   [{0}] {1}", i, myArr2(i))
      Next i
      Console.WriteLine()

      ' Clears the entire collection.
      myCol.Clear()

      Console.WriteLine("After clearing the collection:")
      PrintValues1(myCol)
   End Sub 'Main


   ' Uses the foreach statement which hides the complexity of the enumerator.
   ' NOTE: The foreach statement is the preferred way of enumerating the contents of a collection.
   Public Shared Sub PrintValues1(myCol As StringCollection)
      Dim obj As [Object]
      For Each obj In  myCol
         Console.WriteLine("   {0}", obj)
      Next obj
      Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub 'PrintValues1


   ' Uses the enumerator. 
   ' NOTE: The foreach statement is the preferred way of enumerating the contents of a collection.
   Public Shared Sub PrintValues2(myCol As StringCollection)
      Dim myEnumerator As StringEnumerator = myCol.GetEnumerator()
      While myEnumerator.MoveNext()
         Console.WriteLine("   {0}", myEnumerator.Current)
      End While
      Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub 'PrintValues2


   ' Uses the Count and Item properties.
   Public Shared Sub PrintValues3(myCol As StringCollection)
      Dim i As Integer
      For i = 0 To myCol.Count - 1
         Console.WriteLine("   {0}", myCol(i))
      Next i
      Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub 'PrintValues3

End Class 'SamplesStringCollection 


'This code produces the following output.
'
'Displays the elements using foreach:
'   RED
'   orange
'   yellow
'   RED
'   green
'   blue
'   RED
'   indigo
'   violet
'   RED
'
'Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:
'   RED
'   orange
'   yellow
'   RED
'   green
'   blue
'   RED
'   indigo
'   violet
'   RED
'
'Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:
'   RED
'   orange
'   yellow
'   RED
'   green
'   blue
'   RED
'   indigo
'   violet
'   RED
'
'After adding "* white" to the end and inserting "* gray" at index 3:
'   RED
'   orange
'   yellow
'   * gray
'   RED
'   green
'   blue
'   RED
'   indigo
'   violet
'   RED
'   * white
'
'After removing "yellow":
'   RED
'   orange
'   * gray
'   RED
'   green
'   blue
'   RED
'   indigo
'   violet
'   RED
'   * white
'
'After removing all occurrences of "RED":
'   orange
'   * gray
'   green
'   blue
'   indigo
'   violet
'   * white
'
'The new array contains:
'   [0] orange
'   [1] * gray
'   [2] green
'   [3] blue
'   [4] indigo
'   [5] violet
'   [6] * white
'
'After clearing the collection:
'

C#
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

public class SamplesStringCollection  {

   public static void Main()  {

      // Create and initializes a new StringCollection.
      StringCollection myCol = new StringCollection();

      // Add a range of elements from an array to the end of the StringCollection.
      String[] myArr = new String[] { "RED", "orange", "yellow", "RED", "green", "blue", "RED", "indigo", "violet", "RED" };
      myCol.AddRange( myArr );

      // Display the contents of the collection using foreach. This is the preferred method.
      Console.WriteLine( "Displays the elements using foreach:" );
      PrintValues1( myCol );

      // Display the contents of the collection using the enumerator.
      Console.WriteLine( "Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:" );
      PrintValues2( myCol );

      // Display the contents of the collection using the Count and Item properties.
      Console.WriteLine( "Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:" );
      PrintValues3( myCol );

      // Add one element to the end of the StringCollection and insert another at index 3.
      myCol.Add( "* white" );
      myCol.Insert( 3, "* gray" );

      Console.WriteLine( "After adding \"* white\" to the end and inserting \"* gray\" at index 3:" );
      PrintValues1( myCol );

      // Remove one element from the StringCollection.
      myCol.Remove( "yellow" );

      Console.WriteLine( "After removing \"yellow\":" );
      PrintValues1( myCol );

      // Remove all occurrences of a value from the StringCollection.
      int i = myCol.IndexOf( "RED" );
      while ( i > -1 )  {
         myCol.RemoveAt( i );
         i = myCol.IndexOf( "RED" );
      }

      // Verify that all occurrences of "RED" are gone.
      if ( myCol.Contains( "RED" ) )
         Console.WriteLine( "*** The collection still contains \"RED\"." );

      Console.WriteLine( "After removing all occurrences of \"RED\":" );
      PrintValues1( myCol );

      // Copy the collection to a new array starting at index 0.
      String[] myArr2 = new String[myCol.Count];
      myCol.CopyTo( myArr2, 0 );

      Console.WriteLine( "The new array contains:" );
      for ( i = 0; i < myArr2.Length; i++ )  {
         Console.WriteLine( "   [{0}] {1}", i, myArr2[i] );
      }
      Console.WriteLine();

      // Clears the entire collection.
      myCol.Clear();

      Console.WriteLine( "After clearing the collection:" );
      PrintValues1( myCol );

   }

   // Uses the foreach statement which hides the complexity of the enumerator.
   // NOTE: The foreach statement is the preferred way of enumerating the contents of a collection.
   public static void PrintValues1( StringCollection myCol )  {
      foreach ( Object obj in myCol )
         Console.WriteLine( "   {0}", obj );
      Console.WriteLine();
   }

   // Uses the enumerator. 
   // NOTE: The foreach statement is the preferred way of enumerating the contents of a collection.
   public static void PrintValues2( StringCollection myCol )  {
      StringEnumerator myEnumerator = myCol.GetEnumerator();
      while ( myEnumerator.MoveNext() )
         Console.WriteLine( "   {0}", myEnumerator.Current );
      Console.WriteLine();
   }

   // Uses the Count and Item properties.
   public static void PrintValues3( StringCollection myCol )  {
      for ( int i = 0; i < myCol.Count; i++ )
         Console.WriteLine( "   {0}", myCol[i] );
      Console.WriteLine();
   }

}

/*
This code produces the following output.

Displays the elements using foreach:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED

Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED

Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED

After adding "* white" to the end and inserting "* gray" at index 3:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   * gray
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED
   * white

After removing "yellow":
   RED
   orange
   * gray
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED
   * white

After removing all occurrences of "RED":
   orange
   * gray
   green
   blue
   indigo
   violet
   * white

The new array contains:
   [0] orange
   [1] * gray
   [2] green
   [3] blue
   [4] indigo
   [5] violet
   [6] * white

After clearing the collection:

*/
Visual C++
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;
using namespace System::Collections::Specialized;

void PrintValues1( StringCollection^ myCol );
void PrintValues2( StringCollection^ myCol );
void PrintValues3( StringCollection^ myCol );

int main()
{

   // Create and initializes a new StringCollection.
   StringCollection^ myCol = gcnew StringCollection;

   // Add a range of elements from an array to the end of the StringCollection.
   array<String^>^myArr = {"RED","orange","yellow","RED","green","blue","RED","indigo","violet","RED"};
   myCol->AddRange( myArr );

   // Display the contents of the collection using for each. This is the preferred method.
   Console::WriteLine( "Displays the elements using for each:" );
   PrintValues1( myCol );

   // Display the contents of the collection using the enumerator.
   Console::WriteLine( "Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:" );
   PrintValues2( myCol );

   // Display the contents of the collection using the Count and Item properties.
   Console::WriteLine( "Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:" );
   PrintValues3( myCol );

   // Add one element to the end of the StringCollection and insert another at index 3.
   myCol->Add( "* white" );
   myCol->Insert( 3, "* gray" );
   Console::WriteLine( "After adding \"* white\" to the end and inserting \"* gray\" at index 3:" );
   PrintValues1( myCol );

   // Remove one element from the StringCollection.
   myCol->Remove( "yellow" );
   Console::WriteLine( "After removing \"yellow\":" );
   PrintValues1( myCol );

   // Remove all occurrences of a value from the StringCollection.
   int i = myCol->IndexOf( "RED" );
   while ( i > -1 )
   {
      myCol->RemoveAt( i );
      i = myCol->IndexOf( "RED" );
   }


   // Verify that all occurrences of "RED" are gone.
   if ( myCol->Contains( "RED" ) )
      Console::WriteLine( "*** The collection still contains \"RED\"." );

   Console::WriteLine( "After removing all occurrences of \"RED\":" );
   PrintValues1( myCol );

   // Copy the collection to a new array starting at index 0.
   array<String^>^myArr2 = gcnew array<String^>(myCol->Count);
   myCol->CopyTo( myArr2, 0 );
   Console::WriteLine( "The new array contains:" );
   for ( i = 0; i < myArr2->Length; i++ )
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "   [{0}] {1}", i, myArr2[ i ] );

   }
   Console::WriteLine();

   // Clears the entire collection.
   myCol->Clear();
   Console::WriteLine( "After clearing the collection:" );
   PrintValues1( myCol );
}


// Uses the for each statement which hides the complexity of the enumerator.
// NOTE: The for each statement is the preferred way of enumerating the contents of a collection.
void PrintValues1( StringCollection^ myCol )  {
   for each ( Object^ obj in myCol )
      Console::WriteLine( "   {0}", obj );
   Console::WriteLine();
}

// Uses the enumerator. 
void PrintValues2( StringCollection^ myCol )
{
   StringEnumerator^ myEnumerator = myCol->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnumerator->MoveNext() )
      Console::WriteLine( "   {0}", myEnumerator->Current );

   Console::WriteLine();
}


// Uses the Count and Item properties.
void PrintValues3( StringCollection^ myCol )
{
   for ( int i = 0; i < myCol->Count; i++ )
      Console::WriteLine( "   {0}", myCol[ i ] );
   Console::WriteLine();
}

/*
This code produces the following output.

Displays the elements using the IEnumerator:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED

Displays the elements using the Count and Item properties:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED

After adding "* white" to the end and inserting "* gray" at index 3:
   RED
   orange
   yellow
   * gray
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED
   * white

After removing "yellow":
   RED
   orange
   * gray
   RED
   green
   blue
   RED
   indigo
   violet
   RED
   * white

After removing all occurrences of "RED":
   orange
   * gray
   green
   blue
   indigo
   violet
   * white

The new array contains:
   [0] orange
   [1] * gray
   [2] green
   [3] blue
   [4] indigo
   [5] violet
   [6] * white

After clearing the collection:

*/
System..::.Object
  System.Collections.Specialized..::.StringCollection
    System.Configuration..::.CommaDelimitedStringCollection

Public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

This implementation does not provide a synchronized (thread safe) wrapper for a StringCollection, but derived classes can create their own synchronized versions of the StringCollection using the SyncRoot property.

Enumerating through a collection is intrinsically not a thread safe procedure. Even when a collection is synchronized, other threads can still modify the collection, which causes the enumerator to throw an exception. To guarantee thread safety during enumeration, you can either lock the collection during the entire enumeration or catch the exceptions resulting from changes made by other threads.

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

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, 1.1, 1.0
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Why would you use this?      aptitude   |   Edit   |   Show History

Now that we have generic collections I wonder if there is still any reason to use this collection over a System.Collections.ObjectModel.Collection<string> collection?

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Re: Why would you use this?      Charles Reinman   |   Edit   |   Show History
The one use I've found is in the Settings file designer. It's in the default list of the Type drop-down, and it works without any fuss unlike most collection classes.
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