Enumerable.Contains Method (System.Linq)

Type Parameters

TSource
Examples

The following code example demonstrates how to use Contains<TSource>(IEnumerable<TSource>, TSource) to determine whether an array contains a specific element.
string[] fruits = { "apple", "banana", "mango", "orange", "passionfruit", "grape" };
string fruit = "mango";
bool hasMango = fruits.Contains(fruit);
Console.WriteLine(
    "The array {0} contain '{1}'.",
    hasMango ? "does" : "does not",
    fruit);
// This code produces the following output:
// The array does contain 'mango'.
' Create an array of strings.
Dim fruits() As String = {"apple", "banana", "mango", "orange", "passionfruit", "grape"}
' This is the string to search the array for.
Dim fruit As String = "mango"
' Determine if the array contains the specified string.
Dim hasMango As Boolean = fruits.Contains(fruit)
Dim text As String = IIf(hasMango, "does", "does not")
' Display the output.
Console.WriteLine($"The array {text} contain {fruit}")
' This code produces the following output:
' The array does contain mango
    	Remarks
    	If the type of source implements ICollection<T>, the Contains method in that implementation is invoked to obtain the result. Otherwise, this method determines whether source contains the specified element.
Enumeration is terminated as soon as a matching element is found.
Elements are compared to the specified value by using the default equality comparer, Default.
generic <typename TSource>
[System::Runtime::CompilerServices::Extension]
 static bool Contains(System::Collections::Generic::IEnumerable<TSource> ^ source, TSource value, System::Collections::Generic::IEqualityComparer<TSource> ^ comparer);
	public static bool Contains<TSource> (this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<TSource> source, TSource value, System.Collections.Generic.IEqualityComparer<TSource> comparer);
	public static bool Contains<TSource> (this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<TSource> source, TSource value, System.Collections.Generic.IEqualityComparer<TSource>? comparer);
	static member Contains : seq<'Source> * 'Source * System.Collections.Generic.IEqualityComparer<'Source> -> bool
	<Extension()>
Public Function Contains(Of TSource) (source As IEnumerable(Of TSource), value As TSource, comparer As IEqualityComparer(Of TSource)) As Boolean
    Type Parameters
				TSource
  Examples
    	The following example shows how to implement an equality comparer that can be used in the Contains method.
public class Product
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Code { get; set; }
// Custom comparer for the Product class
class ProductComparer : IEqualityComparer<Product>
    // Products are equal if their names and product numbers are equal.
    public bool Equals(Product x, Product y)
        //Check whether the compared objects reference the same data.
        if (Object.ReferenceEquals(x, y)) return true;
        //Check whether any of the compared objects is null.
        if (Object.ReferenceEquals(x, null) || Object.ReferenceEquals(y, null))
            return false;
        //Check whether the products' properties are equal.
        return x.Code == y.Code && x.Name == y.Name;
    // If Equals() returns true for a pair of objects
    // then GetHashCode() must return the same value for these objects.
    public int GetHashCode(Product product)
        //Check whether the object is null
        if (Object.ReferenceEquals(product, null)) return 0;
        //Get hash code for the Name field if it is not null.
        int hashProductName = product.Name == null ? 0 : product.Name.GetHashCode();
        //Get hash code for the Code field.
        int hashProductCode = product.Code.GetHashCode();
        //Calculate the hash code for the product.
        return hashProductName ^ hashProductCode;
Public Class Product
    Public Property Name As String
    Public Property Code As Integer
End Class
' Custom comparer for the Product class
Public Class ProductComparer
    Implements IEqualityComparer(Of Product)
    Public Function Equals1(
        ByVal x As Product, 
        ByVal y As Product
        ) As Boolean Implements IEqualityComparer(Of Product).Equals
        ' Check whether the compared objects reference the same data.
        If x Is y Then Return True
        'Check whether any of the compared objects is null.
        If x Is Nothing OrElse y Is Nothing Then Return False
        ' Check whether the products' properties are equal.
        Return (x.Code = y.Code) AndAlso (x.Name = y.Name)
    End Function
    Public Function GetHashCode1(
        ByVal product As Product
        ) As Integer Implements IEqualityComparer(Of Product).GetHashCode
        ' Check whether the object is null.
        If product Is Nothing Then Return 0
        ' Get hash code for the Name field if it is not null.
        Dim hashProductName = 
            If(product.Name Is Nothing, 0, product.Name.GetHashCode())
        ' Get hash code for the Code field.
        Dim hashProductCode = product.Code.GetHashCode()
        ' Calculate the hash code for the product.
        Return hashProductName Xor hashProductCode
    End Function
End Class
After you implement this comparer, you can use a sequence of Product objects in the Contains method, as shown in the following example:
Product[] fruits = { new Product { Name = "apple", Code = 9 },
                       new Product { Name = "orange", Code = 4 },
                       new Product { Name = "lemon", Code = 12 } };
Product apple = new Product { Name = "apple", Code = 9 };
Product kiwi = new Product { Name = "kiwi", Code = 8 };
ProductComparer prodc = new ProductComparer();
bool hasApple = fruits.Contains(apple, prodc);
bool hasKiwi = fruits.Contains(kiwi, prodc);
Console.WriteLine("Apple? " + hasApple);
Console.WriteLine("Kiwi? " + hasKiwi);
    This code produces the following output:
    Apple? True
    Kiwi? False
Dim fruits() As Product = 
   {New Product With {.Name = "apple", .Code = 9}, 
    New Product With {.Name = "orange", .Code = 4}, 
    New Product With {.Name = "lemon", .Code = 12}}
Dim apple = New Product With {.Name = "apple", .Code = 9}
Dim kiwi = New Product With {.Name = "kiwi", .Code = 8}
Dim prodc As New ProductComparer()
Dim hasApple = fruits.Contains(apple, prodc)
Dim hasKiwi = fruits.Contains(kiwi, prodc)
Console.WriteLine("Apple? " & hasApple)
Console.WriteLine("Kiwi? " & hasKiwi)
' This code produces the following output:
' Apple? True
' Kiwi? False
    	Remarks
    	Enumeration is terminated as soon as a matching element is found.
If comparer is null, the default equality comparer, Default, is used to compare elements to the specified value.
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