Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.IDictionary.Contains(Object) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Collections.Generic

Assembly:

System.Collections.dll

Source:

Dictionary.cs

Determines whether the IDictionary contains an element with the specified key.

 virtual bool System.Collections.IDictionary.Contains(System::Object ^ key) = System::Collections::IDictionary::Contains;

bool IDictionary.Contains (object key);

abstract member System.Collections.IDictionary.Contains : obj -> bool
override this.System.Collections.IDictionary.Contains : obj -> bool

Function Contains (key As Object) As Boolean Implements IDictionary.Contains

Parameters

key

Object

The key to locate in the IDictionary.

Returns

Boolean

true if the IDictionary contains an element with the specified key; otherwise, false.

Implements

Contains(Object)

Exceptions

ArgumentNullException

key is null.

Examples

The following code example shows how to use the IDictionary.Contains method of the System.Collections.IDictionary interface with a Dictionary<TKey,TValue>. The example demonstrates that the method returns false if a key of the wrong data type is supplied.

The code example is part of a larger example, including output, provided for the IDictionary.Add method.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys,
        // and access it using the IDictionary interface.
        //
        IDictionary openWith = new Dictionary<string, string>();

        // Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no
        // duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
        // IDictionary.Add throws an exception if incorrect types
        // are supplied for key or value.
        openWith.Add("txt", "notepad.exe");
        openWith.Add("bmp", "paint.exe");
        openWith.Add("dib", "paint.exe");
        openWith.Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe");

open System
open System.Collections
open System.Collections.Generic

// Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys,
// and access it using the IDictionary interface.
let openWith: IDictionary = Dictionary<string, string>()

// Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no
// duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
// IDictionary.Add throws an exception if incorrect types
// are supplied for key or value.
openWith.Add("txt", "notepad.exe")
openWith.Add("bmp", "paint.exe")
openWith.Add("dib", "paint.exe")
openWith.Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe")

Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Example
    
    Public Shared Sub Main() 

        ' Create a new dictionary of strings, with string keys,
        ' and access it using the IDictionary interface.
        '
        Dim openWith As IDictionary = _
            New Dictionary(Of String, String)
        
        ' Add some elements to the dictionary. There are no 
        ' duplicate keys, but some of the values are duplicates.
        ' IDictionary.Add throws an exception if incorrect types
        ' are supplied for key or value.
        openWith.Add("txt", "notepad.exe")
        openWith.Add("bmp", "paint.exe")
        openWith.Add("dib", "paint.exe")
        openWith.Add("rtf", "wordpad.exe")

// Contains can be used to test keys before inserting
// them.
if (!openWith.Contains("ht"))
{
    openWith.Add("ht", "hypertrm.exe");
    Console.WriteLine("Value added for key = \"ht\": {0}",
        openWith["ht"]);
}

// IDictionary.Contains returns false if the wrong data
// type is supplied.
Console.WriteLine("openWith.Contains(29.7) returns {0}",
    openWith.Contains(29.7));

// Contains can be used to test keys before inserting
// them.
if openWith.Contains "ht" |> not then
    openWith.Add("ht", "hypertrm.exe")
    printfn $"""Value added for key = "ht": {openWith["ht"]}"""

// IDictionary.Contains returns false if the wrong data
// type is supplied.
printfn $"openWith.Contains(29.7) returns {openWith.Contains 29.7}"

' Contains can be used to test keys before inserting 
' them.
If Not openWith.Contains("ht") Then
    openWith.Add("ht", "hypertrm.exe")
    Console.WriteLine("Value added for key = ""ht"": {0}", _
        openWith("ht"))
End If

' IDictionary.Contains returns False if the wrong data 
' type is supplied.
Console.WriteLine("openWith.Contains(29.7) returns {0}", _
    openWith.Contains(29.7))

    }
}

    End Sub

End Class

Remarks

This method returns false if key is of a type that is not assignable to the key type TKey of the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.

This method approaches an O(1) operation.