Collection<T>.Item Property

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Gets or sets the element at the specified index.

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

Syntax

'Declaration
Public Property Item ( _
    index As Integer _
) As T
public T this[
    int index
] { get; set; }

Parameters

  • index
    Type: System.Int32
    The zero-based index of the element to get or set.

Property Value

Type: T
The element at the specified index.

Implements

IList<T>.Item[Int32]

Exceptions

Exception Condition
ArgumentOutOfRangeException

index is less than zero.

-or-

index is equal to or greater than Count.

Remarks

Collection<T> accepts nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) as a valid value for reference types and allows duplicate elements.

This property provides the ability to access a specific element in the collection by using the following syntax: myCollection[index].

The C# language uses the this keyword to define the indexers instead of implementing the Item property. Visual Basic implements Item as a default property, which provides the same indexing functionality.

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

Notes to Inheritors

Derived classes can override SetItem to change the behavior of setting this property.

Examples

The following code example demonstrates many of the properties and methods of Collection<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.

Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Collections.ObjectModel

Public Class Example

    Public Shared Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)

        Dim dinosaurs As New Collection(Of String)

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

        outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} dinosaurs:", dinosaurs.Count) & vbCrLf
        Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs)

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & String.Format("IndexOf(""Muttaburrasaurus"") {0}", _
          dinosaurs.IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus")) & vbCrLf

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & String.Format("Contains(""Caudipteryx"") {0}", _
          dinosaurs.Contains("Caudipteryx")) & vbCrLf

        outputBlock.Text += String.Format(vbLf & "Insert(2, ""Nanotyrannus"")") & vbCrLf
        dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Nanotyrannus")
        Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs)

        outputBlock.Text += String.Format(vbLf & "dinosaurs(2): {0}", dinosaurs(2)) & vbCrLf

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & "dinosaurs(2) = ""Microraptor""" & vbCrLf
        dinosaurs(2) = "Microraptor"
        Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs)

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & "Remove(""Microraptor"")" & vbCrLf
        dinosaurs.Remove("Microraptor")
        Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs)

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & "RemoveAt(0)" & vbCrLf
        dinosaurs.RemoveAt(0)
        Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs)

        outputBlock.Text &= vbLf & "dinosaurs.Clear()" & vbCrLf
        dinosaurs.Clear()
        outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count) & vbCrLf

    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub Display(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock, ByVal cs As Collection(Of String))
        outputBlock.Text &= vbCrLf
        For Each item As String In cs
            outputBlock.Text &= item & vbCrLf
        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
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;

public class Example
{
   public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
   {
      Collection<string> dinosaurs = new Collection<string>();

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

      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} dinosaurs:", dinosaurs.Count) + "\n";
      Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs);

      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("\nIndexOf(\"Muttaburrasaurus\"): {0}",
          dinosaurs.IndexOf("Muttaburrasaurus")) + "\n";

      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("\nContains(\"Caudipteryx\"): {0}",
          dinosaurs.Contains("Caudipteryx")) + "\n";

      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("\nInsert(2, \"Nanotyrannus\")") + "\n";
      dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Nanotyrannus");
      Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs);

      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("\ndinosaurs[2]: {0}", dinosaurs[2]) + "\n";

      outputBlock.Text += "\ndinosaurs[2] = \"Microraptor\"" + "\n";
      dinosaurs[2] = "Microraptor";
      Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs);

      outputBlock.Text += "\nRemove(\"Microraptor\")" + "\n";
      dinosaurs.Remove("Microraptor");
      Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs);

      outputBlock.Text += "\nRemoveAt(0)" + "\n";
      dinosaurs.RemoveAt(0);
      Display(outputBlock, dinosaurs);

      outputBlock.Text += "\ndinosaurs.Clear()" + "\n";
      dinosaurs.Clear();
      outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count) + "\n";
   }

   private static void Display(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock, Collection<string> cs)
   {
      outputBlock.Text += "\n";
      foreach (string item in cs)
      {
         outputBlock.Text += item + "\n";
      }
   }
}

/* 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
 */

Version Information

Silverlight

Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Silverlight for Windows Phone

Supported in: Windows Phone OS 7.1, Windows Phone OS 7.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: Xbox 360, Windows Phone OS 7.0

Platforms

For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.