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DictionaryBase::IDictionary::Keys Property

Gets an ICollection object containing the keys in the DictionaryBase object.

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

private:
virtual property ICollection^ Keys {
	ICollection^ get () sealed = IDictionary::Keys::get;
}

Property Value

Type: System.Collections::ICollection
An ICollection object containing the keys in the DictionaryBase object.

Implements

IDictionary::Keys

The order of the keys in the ICollection object is unspecified, but is the same order as the associated values in the ICollection object returned by the Values property.

The returned ICollection is not a static copy; instead, the ICollection refers back to the keys in the original DictionaryBase object. Therefore, changes to the DictionaryBase continue to be reflected in the returned ICollection.

Retrieving the value of this property is an O(1) operation.

The following code example implements the DictionaryBase class and uses that implementation to create a dictionary of String keys and values that have a Length property of 5 characters or less.


using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;

public ref class ShortStringDictionary: public DictionaryBase
{
public:

   property String^ Item [String^]
   {
      String^ get( String^ key )
      {
         return (dynamic_cast<String^>(Dictionary[ key ]));
      }

      void set( String^ value, String^ key )
      {
         Dictionary[ key ] = value;
      }
   }

   property ICollection^ Keys 
   {
      ICollection^ get()
      {
         return (Dictionary->Keys);
      }
   }

   property ICollection^ Values 
   {
      ICollection^ get()
      {
         return (Dictionary->Values);
      }
   }
   void Add( String^ key, String^ value )
   {
      Dictionary->Add( key, value );
   }

   bool Contains( String^ key )
   {
      return (Dictionary->Contains( key ));
   }

   void Remove( String^ key )
   {
      Dictionary->Remove( key );
   }


protected:
   virtual void OnInsert( Object^ key, Object^ value ) override
   {
      if ( key->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be of type String.","key" );
      else
      {
         String^ strKey = dynamic_cast<String^>(key);
         if ( strKey->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be no more than 5 characters in length.","key" );
      }

      if ( value->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "value must be of type String.","value" );
      else
      {
         String^ strValue = dynamic_cast<String^>(value);
         if ( strValue->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "value must be no more than 5 characters in length.","value" );
      }
   }

   virtual void OnRemove( Object^ key, Object^ /*value*/ ) override
   {
      if ( key->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be of type String.","key" );
      else
      {
         String^ strKey = dynamic_cast<String^>(key);
         if ( strKey->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be no more than 5 characters in length.","key" );
      }
   }

   virtual void OnSet( Object^ key, Object^ /*oldValue*/, Object^ newValue ) override
   {
      if ( key->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be of type String.","key" );
      else
      {
         String^ strKey = dynamic_cast<String^>(key);
         if ( strKey->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be no more than 5 characters in length.","key" );
      }

      if ( newValue->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "newValue must be of type String.","newValue" );
      else
      {
         String^ strValue = dynamic_cast<String^>(newValue);
         if ( strValue->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "newValue must be no more than 5 characters in length.","newValue" );
      }
   }

   virtual void OnValidate( Object^ key, Object^ value ) override
   {
      if ( key->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be of type String.","key" );
      else
      {
         String^ strKey = dynamic_cast<String^>(key);
         if ( strKey->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "key must be no more than 5 characters in length.","key" );
      }

      if ( value->GetType() != Type::GetType( "System.String" ) )
            throw gcnew ArgumentException( "value must be of type String.","value" );
      else
      {
         String^ strValue = dynamic_cast<String^>(value);
         if ( strValue->Length > 5 )
                  throw gcnew ArgumentException( "value must be no more than 5 characters in length.","value" );
      }
   }

};

void PrintKeysAndValues2( ShortStringDictionary^ myCol );
void PrintKeysAndValues3( ShortStringDictionary^ myCol );
int main()
{
   // Creates and initializes a new DictionaryBase.
   ShortStringDictionary^ mySSC = gcnew ShortStringDictionary;

   // Adds elements to the collection.
   mySSC->Add( "One", "a" );
   mySSC->Add( "Two", "ab" );
   mySSC->Add( "Three", "abc" );
   mySSC->Add( "Four", "abcd" );
   mySSC->Add( "Five", "abcde" );

   // Display the contents of the collection using the enumerator.
   Console::WriteLine( "Contents of the collection (using enumerator):" );
   PrintKeysAndValues2( mySSC );

   // Display the contents of the collection using the Keys property and the Item property.
   Console::WriteLine( "Initial contents of the collection (using Keys and Item):" );
   PrintKeysAndValues3( mySSC );

   // Tries to add a value that is too long.
   try
   {
      mySSC->Add( "Ten", "abcdefghij" );
   }
   catch ( ArgumentException^ e ) 
   {
      Console::WriteLine( e );
   }

   // Tries to add a key that is too long.
   try
   {
      mySSC->Add( "Eleven", "ijk" );
   }
   catch ( ArgumentException^ e ) 
   {
      Console::WriteLine( e );
   }

   Console::WriteLine();

   // Searches the collection with Contains.
   Console::WriteLine( "Contains \"Three\": {0}", mySSC->Contains( "Three" ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "Contains \"Twelve\": {0}", mySSC->Contains( "Twelve" ) );
   Console::WriteLine();

   // Removes an element from the collection.
   mySSC->Remove( "Two" );

   // Displays the contents of the collection.
   Console::WriteLine( "After removing \"Two\":" );
   PrintKeysAndValues2( mySSC );
}

// Uses the enumerator. 
void PrintKeysAndValues2( ShortStringDictionary^ myCol )
{
   DictionaryEntry myDE;
   System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myEnumerator = myCol->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnumerator->MoveNext() )
      if ( myEnumerator->Current != nullptr )
   {
      myDE =  *dynamic_cast<DictionaryEntry^>(myEnumerator->Current);
      Console::WriteLine( "   {0,-5} : {1}", myDE.Key, myDE.Value );
   }

   Console::WriteLine();
}


// Uses the Keys property and the Item property.
void PrintKeysAndValues3( ShortStringDictionary^ myCol )
{
   ICollection^ myKeys = myCol->Keys;
   IEnumerator^ myEnum1 = myKeys->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum1->MoveNext() )
   {
      String^ k = safe_cast<String^>(myEnum1->Current);
      Console::WriteLine( "   {0,-5} : {1}", k, myCol->Item[ k ] );
   }

   Console::WriteLine();
}

/* 
This code produces the following output.

Contents of the collection (using enumerator):
   Three : abc
   Five  : abcde
   Two   : ab
   One   : a
   Four  : abcd

Initial contents of the collection (using Keys and Item):
   Three : abc
   Five  : abcde
   Two   : ab
   One   : a
   Four  : abcd

System.ArgumentException: value must be no more than 5 characters in length.
Parameter name: value
   at ShortStringDictionary.OnValidate(Object key, Object value)
   at System.Collections.DictionaryBase.System.Collections.IDictionary.Add(Object key, Object value)
   at SamplesDictionaryBase.Main()
System.ArgumentException: key must be no more than 5 characters in length.
Parameter name: key
   at ShortStringDictionary.OnValidate(Object key, Object value)
   at System.Collections.DictionaryBase.System.Collections.IDictionary.Add(Object key, Object value)
   at SamplesDictionaryBase.Main()

Contains "Three": True
Contains "Twelve": False

After removing "Two":
   Three : abc
   Five  : abcde
   One   : a
   Four  : abcd

*/


.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

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