List<T>.FindLast(Predicate<T>) Method

Definition

Searches for an element that matches the conditions defined by the specified predicate, and returns the last occurrence within the entire List<T>.

public T FindLast (Predicate<T> match);
public T? FindLast (Predicate<T> match);

Parameters

match
Predicate<T>

The Predicate<T> delegate that defines the conditions of the element to search for.

Returns

T

The last element that matches the conditions defined by the specified predicate, if found; otherwise, the default value for type T.

Exceptions

match is null.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the find methods for the List<T> class. The example for the List<T> class contains book objects, of class Book, using the data from the Sample XML File: Books (LINQ to XML). The FillList method in the example uses LINQ to XML to parse the values from the XML to property values of the book objects.

The following table describes the examples provided for the find methods.

Method Example
Find(Predicate<T>) Finds a book by an ID using the IDToFind predicate delegate.

C# example uses an anonymous delegate.
FindAll(Predicate<T>) Find all books that whose Genre property is "Computer" using the FindComputer predicate delegate.
FindLast(Predicate<T>) Finds the last book in the collection that has a publish date before 2001, using the PubBefore2001 predicate delegate.

C# example uses an anonymous delegate.
FindIndex(Predicate<T>) Finds the index of first computer book using the FindComputer predicate delegate.
FindLastIndex(Predicate<T>) Finds the index of the last computer book using the FindComputer predicate delegate.
FindIndex(Int32, Int32, Predicate<T>) Finds the index of first computer book in the second half of the collection, using the FindComputer predicate delegate.
FindLastIndex(Int32, Int32, Predicate<T>) Finds the index of last computer book in the second half of the collection, using the FindComputer predicate delegate.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Xml.Linq;

namespace Find
{
    class Program
    {
        private static string IDtoFind = "bk109";

        private static List<Book> Books = new List<Book>();
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            FillList();

            // Find a book by its ID.
            Book result = Books.Find(
            delegate(Book bk)
            {
                return bk.ID == IDtoFind;
            }
            );
            if (result != null)
            {
                DisplayResult(result, "Find by ID: " + IDtoFind);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("\nNot found: {0}", IDtoFind);
            }

            // Find last book in collection published before 2001.
            result = Books.FindLast(
            delegate(Book bk)
            {
                DateTime year2001 = new DateTime(2001,01,01);
                return bk.Publish_date < year2001;
            });
            if (result != null)
            {
                DisplayResult(result, "Last book in collection published before 2001:");
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("\nNot found: {0}", IDtoFind);
            }

            // Find all computer books.
            List<Book> results = Books.FindAll(FindComputer);
            if (results.Count != 0)
            {
                DisplayResults(results, "All computer:");
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("\nNo books found.");
            }

            // Find all books under $10.00.
            results = Books.FindAll(
            delegate(Book bk)
            {
                return bk.Price < 10.00;
            }
            );
            if (results.Count != 0)
            {
                DisplayResults(results, "Books under $10:");
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("\nNo books found.");
            }

            // Find index values.
            Console.WriteLine();
            int ndx = Books.FindIndex(FindComputer);
            Console.WriteLine("Index of first computer book: {0}", ndx);
            ndx = Books.FindLastIndex(FindComputer);
            Console.WriteLine("Index of last computer book: {0}", ndx);

            int mid = Books.Count / 2;
            ndx = Books.FindIndex(mid, mid, FindComputer);
            Console.WriteLine("Index of first computer book in the second half of the collection: {0}", ndx);

            ndx = Books.FindLastIndex(Books.Count - 1, mid, FindComputer);
            Console.WriteLine("Index of last computer book in the second half of the collection: {0}", ndx);
        }

        // Populates the list with sample data.
        private static void FillList()
        {

            // Create XML elements from a source file.
            XElement xTree = XElement.Load(@"c:\temp\books.xml");

            // Create an enumerable collection of the elements.
            IEnumerable<XElement> elements = xTree.Elements();

            // Evaluate each element and set set values in the book object.
            foreach (XElement el in elements)
            {
                Book book = new Book();
                book.ID = el.Attribute("id").Value;
                IEnumerable<XElement> props = el.Elements();
                foreach (XElement p in props)
                {

                    if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "author")
                    {
                        book.Author = p.Value;
                    }
                    else if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "title")
                    {
                        book.Title = p.Value;
                    }
                    else if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "genre")
                    {
                        book.Genre = p.Value;
                    }
                    else if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "price")
                    {
                        book.Price = Convert.ToDouble(p.Value);
                    }
                    else if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "publish_date")
                    {
                        book.Publish_date = Convert.ToDateTime(p.Value);
                    }
                    else if (p.Name.ToString().ToLower() == "description")
                    {
                        book.Description = p.Value;
                    }
                }

                Books.Add(book);
            }

            DisplayResults(Books, "All books:");
        }

        // Explicit predicate delegate.
        private static bool FindComputer(Book bk)
        {

            if (bk.Genre == "Computer")
            {
                return true;
            }
        else
            {
                return false;
            }
        }

        private static void DisplayResult(Book result, string title)
        {
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine(title);
            Console.WriteLine("\n{0}\t{1}\t{2}\t{3}\t{4}\t{5}", result.ID,
                result.Author, result.Title, result.Genre, result.Price,
                result.Publish_date.ToShortDateString());
            Console.WriteLine();
        }

        private static void DisplayResults(List<Book> results, string title)
        {
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine(title);
            foreach (Book b in results)
            {

                Console.Write("\n{0}\t{1}\t{2}\t{3}\t{4}\t{5}", b.ID,
                    b.Author, b.Title, b.Genre, b.Price,
                    b.Publish_date.ToShortDateString());
            }
            Console.WriteLine();
        }
    }

    public class Book
    {
        public string ID { get; set; }
        public string Author { get; set; }
        public string Title { get; set; }
        public string Genre { get; set; }
        public double Price { get; set; }
        public DateTime Publish_date { get; set; }
        public string Description { get; set; }
    }
}

Remarks

The Predicate<T> is a delegate to a method that returns true if the object passed to it matches the conditions defined in the delegate. The elements of the current List<T> are individually passed to the Predicate<T> delegate, moving backward in the List<T>, starting with the last element and ending with the first element. Processing is stopped when a match is found.

Important

When searching a list containing value types, make sure the default value for the type does not satisfy the search predicate. Otherwise, there is no way to distinguish between a default value indicating that no match was found and a list element that happens to have the default value for the type. If the default value satisfies the search predicate, use the FindLastIndex method instead.

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

Applies to

Product Versions
.NET Core 1.0, Core 1.1, Core 2.0, Core 2.1, Core 2.2, Core 3.0, Core 3.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
.NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1
.NET Standard 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1
UWP 10.0

See also