List(T).RemoveAll Method (System.Collections.Generic)

RemoveAll Method

.NET Framework Class Library

List<(Of <(T>)>)..::.RemoveAll Method

Removes the all the elements that match the conditions defined by the specified predicate.

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

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public Function RemoveAll ( _
    match As Predicate(Of T) _
) As Integer

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As List
Dim match As Predicate(Of T)
Dim returnValue As Integer

returnValue = instance.RemoveAll(match)

public int RemoveAll(
    Predicate<T> match
)

Visual C++

public:
int RemoveAll(
    Predicate<T>^ match
)

JScript

public function RemoveAll(
    match : Predicate<T>
) : int

Parameters

match: Type: System..::.Predicate<(Of <(T>)>)
The Predicate<(Of <(T>)>) delegate that defines the conditions of the elements to remove.

Return Value

Type: System..::.Int32
The number of elements removed from the List<(Of <(T>)>) .

Exceptions

Exception	Condition
ArgumentNullException	match is nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic).

Remarks

The Predicate<(Of <(T>)>) is a delegate to a method that returns true if the object passed to it matches the conditions defined in the delegate. The elements of the current List<(Of <(T>)>) are individually passed to the Predicate<(Of <(T>)>) delegate, and the elements that match the conditions are removed from the List<(Of <(T>)>).

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

Examples

The following code example demonstrates the RemoveAll method and several other methods that use the Predicate<(Of <(T>)>) generic delegate.

A List<(Of <(T>)>) of strings is created, containing 8 dinosaur names, two of which (at positions 1 and 5) end with "saurus". The code example also defines a search predicate method named EndsWithSaurus, which accepts a string parameter and returns a Boolean value indicating whether the input string ends in "saurus".

The Find, FindLast, and FindAll methods are used to search the list with the search predicate method.

The RemoveAll method is used to remove all entries ending with "saurus". It traverses the list from the beginning, passing each element in turn to the EndsWithSaurus method. The element is removed if the EndsWithSaurus method returns true.

Note:
In C# and Visual Basic, it is not necessary to create the Predicate<string> delegate (Predicate(Of String) in Visual Basic) explicitly. These languages infer the correct delegate from context, and create it automatically.

Finally, the Exists method verifies that there are no strings in the list that end with "saurus".

Visual Basic

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Example

    Public Shared Sub Main()

        Dim dinosaurs As New List(Of String)

        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Oviraptor")
        dinosaurs.Add("Velociraptor")
        dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Dilophosaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Gallimimus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Triceratops")

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "TrueForAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus: {0}", _
            dinosaurs.TrueForAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "Find(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.Find(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "FindLast(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.FindLast(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "FindAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus):")
        Dim sublist As List(Of String) = _
            dinosaurs.FindAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus)

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "{0} elements removed by RemoveAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus).", _
            dinosaurs.RemoveAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "List now contains:")
        For Each dinosaur As String In dinosaurs
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
            "Exists(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.Exists(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus))

    End Sub

    ' Search predicate returns true if a string ends in "saurus".
    Private Shared Function EndsWithSaurus(ByVal s As String) _
        As Boolean

        ' AndAlso prevents evaluation of the second Boolean
        ' expression if the string is so short that an error
        ' would occur.
        If (s.Length > 5) AndAlso _
            (s.Substring(s.Length - 6).ToLower() = "saurus") Then
            Return True
        Else
            Return False
        End If
    End Function
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Compsognathus
'Amargasaurus
'Oviraptor
'Velociraptor
'Deinonychus
'Dilophosaurus
'Gallimimus
'Triceratops
'
'TrueForAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus: False
'
'Find(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): Amargasaurus
'
'FindLast(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): Dilophosaurus
'
'FindAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus):
'Amargasaurus
'Dilophosaurus
'
'2 elements removed by RemoveAll(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus).
'
'List now contains:
'Compsognathus
'Oviraptor
'Velociraptor
'Deinonychus
'Gallimimus
'Triceratops
'
'Exists(AddressOf EndsWithSaurus): False

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

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

        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Oviraptor");
        dinosaurs.Add("Velociraptor");
        dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Dilophosaurus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Gallimimus");
        dinosaurs.Add("Triceratops");

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

        Console.WriteLine("\nTrueForAll(EndsWithSaurus): {0}",
            dinosaurs.TrueForAll(EndsWithSaurus));

        Console.WriteLine("\nFind(EndsWithSaurus): {0}", 
            dinosaurs.Find(EndsWithSaurus));

        Console.WriteLine("\nFindLast(EndsWithSaurus): {0}",
            dinosaurs.FindLast(EndsWithSaurus));

        Console.WriteLine("\nFindAll(EndsWithSaurus):");
        List<string> sublist = dinosaurs.FindAll(EndsWithSaurus);

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

        Console.WriteLine(
            "\n{0} elements removed by RemoveAll(EndsWithSaurus).", 
            dinosaurs.RemoveAll(EndsWithSaurus));

        Console.WriteLine("\nList now contains:");
        foreach(string dinosaur in dinosaurs)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("\nExists(EndsWithSaurus): {0}", 
            dinosaurs.Exists(EndsWithSaurus));
    }

    // Search predicate returns true if a string ends in "saurus".
    private static bool EndsWithSaurus(String s)
    {
        if ((s.Length > 5) && 
            (s.Substring(s.Length - 6).ToLower() == "saurus"))
        {
            return true;
        }
        else
        {
            return false;
        }
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Compsognathus
Amargasaurus
Oviraptor
Velociraptor
Deinonychus
Dilophosaurus
Gallimimus
Triceratops

TrueForAll(EndsWithSaurus): False

Find(EndsWithSaurus): Amargasaurus

FindLast(EndsWithSaurus): Dilophosaurus

FindAll(EndsWithSaurus):
Amargasaurus
Dilophosaurus

2 elements removed by RemoveAll(EndsWithSaurus).

List now contains:
Compsognathus
Oviraptor
Velociraptor
Deinonychus
Gallimimus
Triceratops

Exists(EndsWithSaurus): False
 */

Visual C++

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;

// Search predicate returns true if a string ends in "saurus".
bool EndsWithSaurus(String^ s)
{
    if ((s->Length > 5) && 
        (s->Substring(s->Length - 6)->ToLower() == "saurus"))
    {
        return true;
    }
    else
    {
        return false;
    }
};

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

    dinosaurs->Add("Compsognathus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Amargasaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Oviraptor");
    dinosaurs->Add("Velociraptor");
    dinosaurs->Add("Deinonychus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Dilophosaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Gallimimus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Triceratops");

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

    Console::WriteLine("\nTrueForAll(EndsWithSaurus): {0}",
        dinosaurs->TrueForAll(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus)));

    Console::WriteLine("\nFind(EndsWithSaurus): {0}", 
        dinosaurs->Find(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus)));

    Console::WriteLine("\nFindLast(EndsWithSaurus): {0}",
        dinosaurs->FindLast(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus)));

    Console::WriteLine("\nFindAll(EndsWithSaurus):");
    List<String^>^ sublist = 
        dinosaurs->FindAll(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus));

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

    Console::WriteLine(
        "\n{0} elements removed by RemoveAll(EndsWithSaurus).", 
        dinosaurs->RemoveAll(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus)));

    Console::WriteLine("\nList now contains:");
    for each(String^ dinosaur in dinosaurs)
    {
        Console::WriteLine(dinosaur);
    }

    Console::WriteLine("\nExists(EndsWithSaurus): {0}", 
        dinosaurs->Exists(gcnew Predicate<String^>(EndsWithSaurus)));
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Compsognathus
Amargasaurus
Oviraptor
Velociraptor
Deinonychus
Dilophosaurus
Gallimimus
Triceratops

TrueForAll(EndsWithSaurus): False

Find(EndsWithSaurus): Amargasaurus

FindLast(EndsWithSaurus): Dilophosaurus

FindAll(EndsWithSaurus):
Amargasaurus
Dilophosaurus

2 elements removed by RemoveAll(EndsWithSaurus).

List now contains:
Compsognathus
Oviraptor
Velociraptor
Deinonychus
Gallimimus
Triceratops

Exists(EndsWithSaurus): False
 */

Platforms

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.

Version Information

.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

Reference

List<(Of <(T>)>) Class

List<(Of <(T>)>) Members

System.Collections.Generic Namespace

FindAll

Predicate<(Of <(T>)>)

Remove

RemoveAt

RemoveRange