Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.Keys Property

Definition

Gets a collection containing the keys in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.

public:
 property System::Collections::Generic::Dictionary<TKey, TValue>::KeyCollection ^ Keys { System::Collections::Generic::Dictionary<TKey, TValue>::KeyCollection ^ get(); };
public System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection Keys { get; }
member this.Keys : System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<'Key, 'Value>.KeyCollection
Public ReadOnly Property Keys As Dictionary(Of TKey, TValue).KeyCollection

Property Value

A Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection containing the keys in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.

Examples

The following code example shows how to enumerate the keys in the dictionary using the Keys property, and how to enumerate the keys and values in the dictionary.

This code is part of a larger example that can be compiled and executed (openWith is the name of the Dictionary used in this example). See Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.

// To get the keys alone, use the Keys property.
Dictionary<String^, String^>::KeyCollection^ keyColl =
    openWith->Keys;

// The elements of the KeyCollection are strongly typed
// with the type that was specified for dictionary keys.
Console::WriteLine();
for each( String^ s in keyColl )
{
    Console::WriteLine("Key = {0}", s);
}
// To get the keys alone, use the Keys property.
Dictionary<string, string>.KeyCollection keyColl =
    openWith.Keys;

// The elements of the KeyCollection are strongly typed
// with the type that was specified for dictionary keys.
Console.WriteLine();
foreach( string s in keyColl )
{
    Console.WriteLine("Key = {0}", s);
}
' To get the keys alone, use the Keys property.
Dim keyColl As _
    Dictionary(Of String, String).KeyCollection = _
    openWith.Keys

' The elements of the KeyCollection are strongly typed
' with the type that was specified for dictionary keys.
Console.WriteLine()
For Each s As String In  keyColl
    Console.WriteLine("Key = {0}", s)
Next s
// When you use foreach to enumerate dictionary elements,
// the elements are retrieved as KeyValuePair objects.
Console::WriteLine();
for each( KeyValuePair<String^, String^> kvp in openWith )
{
    Console::WriteLine("Key = {0}, Value = {1}",
        kvp.Key, kvp.Value);
}
// When you use foreach to enumerate dictionary elements,
// the elements are retrieved as KeyValuePair objects.
Console.WriteLine();
foreach( KeyValuePair<string, string> kvp in openWith )
{
    Console.WriteLine("Key = {0}, Value = {1}",
        kvp.Key, kvp.Value);
}
' When you use foreach to enumerate dictionary elements,
' the elements are retrieved as KeyValuePair objects.
Console.WriteLine()
For Each kvp As KeyValuePair(Of String, String) In openWith
    Console.WriteLine("Key = {0}, Value = {1}", _
        kvp.Key, kvp.Value)
Next kvp

Remarks

The order of the keys in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection is unspecified, but it is the same order as the associated values in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.ValueCollection returned by the Values property.

The returned Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection is not a static copy; instead, the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection refers back to the keys in the original Dictionary<TKey,TValue>. Therefore, changes to the Dictionary<TKey,TValue> continue to be reflected in the Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.KeyCollection.

Getting the value of this property is an O(1) operation.

Applies to

See also