List<T>.Clear Method

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System.Collections.Generic

Assembly:: System.Collections.dll

Assembly:: mscorlib.dll

Assembly:: netstandard.dll

Source:: List.cs

Source:: List.cs

Source:: List.cs

Important

Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Removes all elements from the List<T>.

public:
 virtual void Clear();

public void Clear ();

abstract member Clear : unit -> unit
override this.Clear : unit -> unit

Public Sub Clear ()

Implements

Clear() Clear()

Examples

The following example demonstrates the Clear method and various other properties and methods of the List<T> generic class. The Clear method is used at the end of the program, to remove all items from the list, and the Capacity and Count properties are then displayed.

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

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

    Console::WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);

    dinosaurs->Add("Tyrannosaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Amargasaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Mamenchisaurus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Deinonychus");
    dinosaurs->Add("Compsognathus");

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

    Console::WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);

    Console::WriteLine("\nContains(\"Deinonychus\"): {0}",
        dinosaurs->Contains("Deinonychus"));

    Console::WriteLine("\nInsert(2, \"Compsognathus\")");
    dinosaurs->Insert(2, "Compsognathus");

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

    Console::WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[3]: {0}", dinosaurs[3]);

    Console::WriteLine("\nRemove(\"Compsognathus\")");
    dinosaurs->Remove("Compsognathus");

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

    dinosaurs->TrimExcess();
    Console::WriteLine("\nTrimExcess()");
    Console::WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);

    dinosaurs->Clear();
    Console::WriteLine("\nClear()");
    Console::WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs->Capacity);
    Console::WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs->Count);
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 0

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

Capacity: 8
Count: 5

Contains("Deinonychus"): True

Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Compsognathus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

dinosaurs[3]: Mamenchisaurus

Remove("Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

TrimExcess()
Capacity: 5
Count: 5

Clear()
Capacity: 5
Count: 0
 */

List<string> dinosaurs = new List<string>();

Console.WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);

dinosaurs.Add("Tyrannosaurus");
dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus");
dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus");
dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus");
dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus");
Console.WriteLine();
foreach(string dinosaur in dinosaurs)
{
    Console.WriteLine(dinosaur);
}

Console.WriteLine("\nCapacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);

Console.WriteLine("\nContains(\"Deinonychus\"): {0}",
    dinosaurs.Contains("Deinonychus"));

Console.WriteLine("\nInsert(2, \"Compsognathus\")");
dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Compsognathus");

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

// Shows accessing the list using the Item property.
Console.WriteLine("\ndinosaurs[3]: {0}", dinosaurs[3]);

Console.WriteLine("\nRemove(\"Compsognathus\")");
dinosaurs.Remove("Compsognathus");

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

dinosaurs.TrimExcess();
Console.WriteLine("\nTrimExcess()");
Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);

dinosaurs.Clear();
Console.WriteLine("\nClear()");
Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity);
Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count);

/* This code example produces the following output:

Capacity: 0

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

Capacity: 8
Count: 5

Contains("Deinonychus"): True

Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Compsognathus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

dinosaurs[3]: Mamenchisaurus

Remove("Compsognathus")

Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus

TrimExcess()
Capacity: 5
Count: 5

Clear()
Capacity: 5
Count: 0
 */

Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Example

    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim dinosaurs As New List(Of String)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)

        dinosaurs.Add("Tyrannosaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus")
        dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus")

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

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Contains(""Deinonychus""): {0}", _
            dinosaurs.Contains("Deinonychus"))

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Insert(2, ""Compsognathus"")")
        dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Compsognathus")

        Console.WriteLine()
        For Each dinosaur As String In dinosaurs
            Console.WriteLine(dinosaur)
        Next
        ' Shows how to access the list using the Item property.
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "dinosaurs(3): {0}", dinosaurs(3))
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Remove(""Compsognathus"")")
        dinosaurs.Remove("Compsognathus")

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

        dinosaurs.TrimExcess()
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "TrimExcess()")
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)

        dinosaurs.Clear()
        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Clear()")
        Console.WriteLine("Capacity: {0}", dinosaurs.Capacity)
        Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dinosaurs.Count)
    End Sub
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Capacity: 0
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'Capacity: 8
'Count: 5
'
'Contains("Deinonychus"): True
'
'Insert(2, "Compsognathus")
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Compsognathus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'dinosaurs(3): Mamenchisaurus
'
'Remove("Compsognathus")
'
'Tyrannosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'Compsognathus
'
'TrimExcess()
'Capacity: 5
'Count: 5
'
'Clear()
'Capacity: 5
'Count: 0


[<EntryPoint>]
let main argv = 
    // We refer to System.Collections.Generic.List<'T> by its type 
    // abbreviation ResizeArray<'T> to avoid conflict with the List module.    
    // Note: In F# code, F# linked lists are usually preferred over
    // ResizeArray<'T> when an extendable collection is required.
    let dinosaurs = ResizeArray<_>()
 
    // Write out the dinosaurs in the ResizeArray.
    let printDinosaurs() =
        printfn ""
        dinosaurs |> Seq.iter (fun p -> printfn "%O" p) 
 
    
    printfn "\nCapacity: %i" dinosaurs.Capacity
 
    dinosaurs.Add("Tyrannosaurus")
    dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus")
    dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus")
    dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus")
    dinosaurs.Add("Compsognathus")
 
    printDinosaurs()
 
    printfn "\nCapacity: %i" dinosaurs.Capacity
    printfn "Count: %i" dinosaurs.Count
 
    printfn "\nContains(\"Deinonychus\"): %b" (dinosaurs.Contains("Deinonychus"))
 
    printfn "\nInsert(2, \"Compsognathus\")"
    dinosaurs.Insert(2, "Compsognathus")
 
    printDinosaurs()
 
    // Shows accessing the list using the Item property.
    printfn "\ndinosaurs[3]: %s" dinosaurs.[3]
 
    printfn "\nRemove(\"Compsognathus\")"
    dinosaurs.Remove("Compsognathus") |> ignore
 
    printDinosaurs()
 
    dinosaurs.TrimExcess()
    printfn "\nTrimExcess()"
    printfn "Capacity: %i" dinosaurs.Capacity
    printfn "Count: %i" dinosaurs.Count
 
    dinosaurs.Clear()
    printfn "\nClear()"
    printfn "Capacity: %i" dinosaurs.Capacity
    printfn "Count: %i" dinosaurs.Count
 
    0 // return an integer exit code
 
    (* This code example produces the following output:
 
Capacity: 0
 
Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus
 
Capacity: 8
Count: 5
 
Contains("Deinonychus"): true
 
Insert(2, "Compsognathus")
 
Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Compsognathus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus
 
dinosaurs[3]: Mamenchisaurus
 
Remove("Compsognathus")
 
Tyrannosaurus
Amargasaurus
Mamenchisaurus
Deinonychus
Compsognathus
 
TrimExcess()
Capacity: 5
Count: 5
 
Clear()
Capacity: 5
Count: 0
    *)

Remarks

Count is set to 0, and references to other objects from elements of the collection are also released.

Capacity remains unchanged. To reset the capacity of the List<T>, call the TrimExcess method or set the Capacity property directly. Decreasing the capacity reallocates memory and copies all the elements in the List<T>. Trimming an empty List<T> sets the capacity of the List<T> to the default capacity.

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

Applies to

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