List<T>.Remove(T) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Collections.Generic

Assemblies:

netstandard.dll, System.Collections.dll

Source:

List.cs

Removes the first occurrence of a specific object from the List<T>.

C#

public bool Remove(T item);

Parameters

item

T

The object to remove from the List<T>. The value can be null for reference types.

Returns

Boolean

true if item is successfully removed; otherwise, false. This method also returns false if item was not found in the List<T>.

Implements

Remove(T)

Examples

The following example demonstrates how to add, remove, and insert a simple business object in a List<T>.

C#

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
// Simple business object. A PartId is used to identify the type of part
// but the part name can change.
public class Part : IEquatable<Part>
    {
        public string PartName { get; set; }

        public int PartId { get; set; }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return "ID: " + PartId + "   Name: " + PartName;
        }
        public override bool Equals(object obj)
        {
            if (obj == null) return false;
            Part objAsPart = obj as Part;
            if (objAsPart == null) return false;
            else return Equals(objAsPart);
        }
        public override int GetHashCode()
        {
            return PartId;
        }
        public bool Equals(Part other)
        {
            if (other == null) return false;
            return (this.PartId.Equals(other.PartId));
        }
    // Should also override == and != operators.
    }
public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Create a list of parts.
        List<Part> parts = new List<Part>();

        // Add parts to the list.
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "crank arm", PartId = 1234 });
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "chain ring", PartId = 1334 });
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "regular seat", PartId = 1434 });
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "banana seat", PartId = 1444 });
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "cassette", PartId = 1534 });
        parts.Add(new Part() { PartName = "shift lever", PartId = 1634 });

        // Write out the parts in the list. This will call the overridden ToString method
        // in the Part class.
        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach (Part aPart in parts)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(aPart);
        }

        // Check the list for part #1734. This calls the IEquatable.Equals method
        // of the Part class, which checks the PartId for equality.
        Console.WriteLine("\nContains(\"1734\"): {0}",
        parts.Contains(new Part { PartId = 1734, PartName = "" }));

        // Insert a new item at position 2.
        Console.WriteLine("\nInsert(2, \"1834\")");
        parts.Insert(2, new Part() { PartName = "brake lever", PartId = 1834 });

        //Console.WriteLine();
        foreach (Part aPart in parts)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(aPart);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("\nParts[3]: {0}", parts[3]);

        Console.WriteLine("\nRemove(\"1534\")");

        // This will remove part 1534 even though the PartName is different,
        // because the Equals method only checks PartId for equality.
        parts.Remove(new Part() { PartId = 1534, PartName = "cogs" });

        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach (Part aPart in parts)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(aPart);
        }
        Console.WriteLine("\nRemoveAt(3)");
        // This will remove the part at index 3.
        parts.RemoveAt(3);

        Console.WriteLine();
        foreach (Part aPart in parts)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(aPart);
        }

            /*

             ID: 1234   Name: crank arm
             ID: 1334   Name: chain ring
             ID: 1434   Name: regular seat
             ID: 1444   Name: banana seat
             ID: 1534   Name: cassette
             ID: 1634   Name: shift lever

             Contains("1734"): False

             Insert(2, "1834")
             ID: 1234   Name: crank arm
             ID: 1334   Name: chain ring
             ID: 1834   Name: brake lever
             ID: 1434   Name: regular seat
             ID: 1444   Name: banana seat
             ID: 1534   Name: cassette
             ID: 1634   Name: shift lever

             Parts[3]: ID: 1434   Name: regular seat

             Remove("1534")

             ID: 1234   Name: crank arm
             ID: 1334   Name: chain ring
             ID: 1834   Name: brake lever
             ID: 1434   Name: regular seat
             ID: 1444   Name: banana seat
             ID: 1634   Name: shift lever

             RemoveAt(3)

             ID: 1234   Name: crank arm
             ID: 1334   Name: chain ring
             ID: 1834   Name: brake lever
             ID: 1444   Name: banana seat
             ID: 1634   Name: shift lever


         */
    }
}

The following example demonstrates Remove method. Several properties and methods of the List<T> generic class are used to add, insert, and search the list. After these operations, the list contains a duplicate. The Remove method is used to remove the first instance of the duplicate item, and the contents are displayed. The Remove method always removes the first instance it encounters.

C#

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
 */

Remarks

If type T implements the IEquatable<T> generic interface, the equality comparer is the Equals method of that interface; otherwise, the default equality comparer is Object.Equals.

This method performs a linear search; therefore, this method is an O(n) operation, where n is Count.

Applies to

See also

• RemoveAt(Int32)
• RemoveRange(Int32, Int32)
• Add(T)
• Insert(Int32, T)
• Performing Culture-Insensitive String Operations in Collections