Dictionary<TKey, TValue>.ContainsKey Method
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Determines whether the Dictionary<TKey, TValue> contains the specified key.
Namespace: System.Collections.Generic
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
'Declaration
Public Function ContainsKey ( _
key As TKey _
) As Boolean
public bool ContainsKey(
TKey key
)
Parameters
- key
Type: TKey
The key to locate in the Dictionary<TKey, TValue>.
Return Value
Type: System.Boolean
true if the Dictionary<TKey, TValue> contains an element with the specified key; otherwise, false.
Implements
Exceptions
Exception | Condition |
---|---|
ArgumentNullException | key is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic). |
Remarks
This method approaches an O(1) operation.
Examples
The following code example shows how to use the ContainsKey method to test whether a key exists prior to calling the Add method. It also shows how to use the TryGetValue method to retrieve values, which is an efficient way to retrieve values when a program frequently tries keys that are not in the dictionary. Finally, it shows the least efficient way to test whether keys exist, by using the Item property (the indexer in C#).
This code example is part of a larger example provided for the Dictionary<TKey, TValue> class.
' ContainsKey can be used to test keys before inserting
' them.
If Not openWith.ContainsKey("ht") Then
openWith.Add("ht", "hypertrm.exe")
outputBlock.Text &= String.Format("Value added for key = ""ht"": {0}", _
openWith("ht")) & vbCrLf
End If
...
' When a program often has to try keys that turn out not to
' be in the dictionary, TryGetValue can be a more efficient
' way to retrieve values.
Dim value As String = ""
If openWith.TryGetValue("tif", value) Then
outputBlock.Text &= String.Format("For key = ""tif"", value = {0}.", value) & vbCrLf
Else
outputBlock.Text &= "Key = ""tif"" is not found." & vbCrLf
End If
...
' The default Item property throws an exception if the requested
' key is not in the dictionary.
Try
outputBlock.Text &= String.Format("For key = ""tif"", value = {0}.", _
openWith("tif")) & vbCrLf
Catch
outputBlock.Text &= "Key = ""tif"" is not found." & vbCrLf
End Try
// ContainsKey can be used to test keys before inserting
// them.
if (!openWith.ContainsKey("ht"))
{
openWith.Add("ht", "hypertrm.exe");
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Value added for key = \"ht\": {0}",
openWith["ht"]) + "\n";
}
...
// When a program often has to try keys that turn out not to
// be in the dictionary, TryGetValue can be a more efficient
// way to retrieve values.
string value = "";
if (openWith.TryGetValue("tif", out value))
{
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.", value) + "\n";
}
else
{
outputBlock.Text += "Key = \"tif\" is not found." + "\n";
}
...
// The indexer throws an exception if the requested key is
// not in the dictionary.
try
{
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("For key = \"tif\", value = {0}.",
openWith["tif"]) + "\n";
}
catch (KeyNotFoundException)
{
outputBlock.Text += "Key = \"tif\" is not found." + "\n";
}
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.
See Also