CopyTo Method (Array)
.NET Framework Class Library
ArrayList..::.CopyTo Method (Array)

Copies the entire ArrayList to a compatible one-dimensional Array, starting at the beginning of the target array.

Namespace:  System.Collections
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Overridable Sub CopyTo ( _
    array As Array _
)
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As ArrayList
Dim array As Array

instance.CopyTo(array)
C#
public virtual void CopyTo(
    Array array
)
Visual C++
public:
virtual void CopyTo(
    Array^ array
)
JScript
public function CopyTo(
    array : Array
)

Parameters

array
Type: System..::.Array
The one-dimensional Array that is the destination of the elements copied from ArrayList. The Array must have zero-based indexing.
ExceptionCondition
ArgumentNullException

array is nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic).

ArgumentException

array is multidimensional.

-or-

The number of elements in the source ArrayList is greater than the number of elements that the destination array can contain.

InvalidCastException

The type of the source ArrayList cannot be cast automatically to the type of the destination array.

The specified array must be of a compatible type.

This method uses Array..::.Copy to copy the elements.

The elements are copied to the Array in the same order in which the enumerator iterates through the ArrayList.

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

The following code example shows how to copy an ArrayList into a one-dimensional System..::.Array.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Public Class SamplesArrayList    

    Public Shared Sub Main()

        ' Creates and initializes the source ArrayList.
        Dim mySourceList As New ArrayList()
        mySourceList.Add("three")
        mySourceList.Add("napping")
        mySourceList.Add("cats")
        mySourceList.Add("in")
        mySourceList.Add("the")
        mySourceList.Add("barn")

        ' Creates and initializes the one-dimensional target Array.
        Dim myTargetArray(14) As String
        myTargetArray(0) = "The"
        myTargetArray(1) = "quick"
        myTargetArray(2) = "brown"
        myTargetArray(3) = "fox"
        myTargetArray(4) = "jumped"
        myTargetArray(5) = "over"
        myTargetArray(6) = "the"
        myTargetArray(7) = "lazy"
        myTargetArray(8) = "dog"

        ' Displays the values of the target Array.
        Console.WriteLine("The target Array contains the following " _
           + "(before and after copying):")
        PrintValues(myTargetArray, " "c)

        ' Copies the second element from the source ArrayList to the target
        ' Array starting at index 7.
        mySourceList.CopyTo(1, myTargetArray, 7, 1)

        ' Displays the values of the target Array.
        PrintValues(myTargetArray, " "c)

        ' Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target Array starting
        ' at index 6.
        mySourceList.CopyTo(myTargetArray, 6)

        ' Displays the values of the target Array.
        PrintValues(myTargetArray, " "c)

        ' Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target Array starting
        ' at index 0.
        mySourceList.CopyTo(myTargetArray)

        ' Displays the values of the target Array.
        PrintValues(myTargetArray, " "c)
    End Sub    

    Public Shared Sub PrintValues(myArr() As String, mySeparator As Char)
        Dim i As Integer
        For i = 0 To myArr.Length - 1
            Console.Write("{0}{1}", mySeparator, myArr(i))
        Next i
        Console.WriteLine()
    End Sub 'PrintValues

End Class


' This code produces the following output.
' 
' The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):
'  The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog      
'  The quick brown fox jumped over the napping dog      
'  The quick brown fox jumped over three napping cats in the barn   
'  three napping cats in the barn three napping cats in the barn
C#
using System;
using System.Collections;
public class SamplesArrayList  {

   public static void Main()  {

      // Creates and initializes the source ArrayList.
      ArrayList mySourceList = new ArrayList();
      mySourceList.Add( "three" );
      mySourceList.Add( "napping" );
      mySourceList.Add( "cats" );
      mySourceList.Add( "in" );
      mySourceList.Add( "the" );
      mySourceList.Add( "barn" );

      // Creates and initializes the one-dimensional target Array.
      String[] myTargetArray = new String[15];
      myTargetArray[0] = "The";
      myTargetArray[1] = "quick";
      myTargetArray[2] = "brown";
      myTargetArray[3] = "fox";
      myTargetArray[4] = "jumped";
      myTargetArray[5] = "over";
      myTargetArray[6] = "the";
      myTargetArray[7] = "lazy";
      myTargetArray[8] = "dog";

      // Displays the values of the target Array.
      Console.WriteLine( "The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):" );
      PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

      // Copies the second element from the source ArrayList to the target Array starting at index 7.
      mySourceList.CopyTo( 1, myTargetArray, 7, 1 );

      // Displays the values of the target Array.
      PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

      // Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target Array starting at index 6.
      mySourceList.CopyTo( myTargetArray, 6 );

      // Displays the values of the target Array.
      PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

      // Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target Array starting at index 0.
      mySourceList.CopyTo( myTargetArray );

      // Displays the values of the target Array.
      PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );
   }

   public static void PrintValues( String[] myArr, char mySeparator )  {
      for ( int i = 0; i < myArr.Length; i++ )
         Console.Write( "{0}{1}", mySeparator, myArr[i] );
      Console.WriteLine();
   }

}


/* 
This code produces the following output.

The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):
 The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog
 The quick brown fox jumped over the napping dog
 The quick brown fox jumped over three napping cats in the barn
 three napping cats in the barn three napping cats in the barn
*/ 

Visual C++
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;
void PrintValues( array<String^>^myArr, char mySeparator );
int main()
{

   // Creates and initializes the source ArrayList.
   ArrayList^ mySourceList = gcnew ArrayList;
   mySourceList->Add( "three" );
   mySourceList->Add( "napping" );
   mySourceList->Add( "cats" );
   mySourceList->Add( "in" );
   mySourceList->Add( "the" );
   mySourceList->Add( "barn" );

   // Creates and initializes the one-dimensional target Array.
   array<String^>^myTargetArray = gcnew array<String^>(15);
   myTargetArray[ 0 ] = "The";
   myTargetArray[ 1 ] = "quick";
   myTargetArray[ 2 ] = "brown";
   myTargetArray[ 3 ] = "fox";
   myTargetArray[ 4 ] = "jumped";
   myTargetArray[ 5 ] = "over";
   myTargetArray[ 6 ] = "the";
   myTargetArray[ 7 ] = "lazy";
   myTargetArray[ 8 ] = "dog";

   // Displays the values of the target Array.
   Console::WriteLine( "The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):" );
   PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

   // Copies the second element from the source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 7.
   mySourceList->CopyTo( 1, myTargetArray, 7, 1 );

   // Displays the values of the target Array.
   PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

   // Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 6.
   mySourceList->CopyTo( myTargetArray, 6 );

   // Displays the values of the target Array.
   PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

   // Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 0.
   mySourceList->CopyTo( myTargetArray );

   // Displays the values of the target Array.
   PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );
}

void PrintValues( array<String^>^myArr, char mySeparator )
{
   for ( int i = 0; i < myArr->Length; i++ )
      Console::Write( "{0}{1}", mySeparator, myArr[ i ] );
   Console::WriteLine();
}

/* 
 This code produces the following output.

 The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):
  The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog
  The quick brown fox jumped over the napping dog
  The quick brown fox jumped over three napping cats in the barn
  three napping cats in the barn three napping cats in the barn
 */
JScript
import System;
import System.Collections;


// Creates and initializes the source ArrayList.
var mySourceList : ArrayList  = new ArrayList();
mySourceList.Add( "three" );
mySourceList.Add( "napping" );
mySourceList.Add( "cats" );
mySourceList.Add( "in" );
mySourceList.Add( "the" );
mySourceList.Add( "barn" );

// Creates and initializes the one-dimensional target Array.
var myTargetArray : System.Array = System.Array.CreateInstance( System.String, 15 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "The", 0 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "quick", 1 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "brown", 2 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "fox", 3 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "jumped", 4 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "over", 5 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "the", 6 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "lazy", 7 );
myTargetArray.SetValue( "dog", 8 );

// Displays the values of the target Array.
Console.WriteLine( "The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):" );
PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

// Copies the second element from the source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 7.
mySourceList.CopyTo( 1, myTargetArray, 7, 1 );

// Displays the values of the target Array.
PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

// Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 6.
mySourceList.CopyTo( myTargetArray, 6 );

// Displays the values of the target Array.
PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

// Copies the entire source ArrayList to the target ArrayList starting at index 0.
mySourceList.CopyTo( myTargetArray );

// Displays the values of the target Array.
PrintValues( myTargetArray, ' ' );

function PrintValues( myArr : System.Array , mySeparator : char  )  {
   var myEnumerator : System.Collections.IEnumerator = myArr.GetEnumerator();
   var i : int= 0;
   var cols : int = myArr.GetLength( myArr.Rank - 1 );
   while ( myEnumerator.MoveNext() )  {
      if ( i < cols )  {
         i++;
      } else  {
         Console.WriteLine();
         i = 1;
      }
      Console.Write( "{0}{1}", mySeparator, myEnumerator.Current );
   }
   Console.WriteLine();
}
 /* 
 This code produces the following output.

 The target Array contains the following (before and after copying):
  The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog      
  The quick brown fox jumped over the napping dog      
  The quick brown fox jumped over three napping cats in the barn   
  three napping cats in the barn three napping cats in the barn
*/ 

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, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0
Tags What's this?: Add a tag
Community Content   What is Community Content?
Add new content RSS  Annotations
Processing
Page view tracker