Get an enumerator that iterates through StringCollection in C#

The StringCollection class in C# provides a GetEnumerator() method that returns a StringEnumerator object. This enumerator allows you to iterate through the collection elements one by one using the MoveNext() and Current properties.

Syntax

Following is the syntax for getting an enumerator from StringCollection −

StringEnumerator enumerator = stringCollection.GetEnumerator();

Following is the syntax for iterating using the enumerator −

while (enumerator.MoveNext()) {
   Console.WriteLine(enumerator.Current);
}

Using GetEnumerator() with StringCollection

The GetEnumerator() method returns a StringEnumerator that provides MoveNext() and Current members for manual iteration −

Example

using System;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      StringCollection stringCol = new StringCollection();
      String[] arr = new String[] { "100", "200", "300", "400", "500" };
      
      Console.WriteLine("Array elements...");
      foreach (string res in arr) {
         Console.WriteLine(res);
      }
      
      stringCol.AddRange(arr);
      Console.WriteLine("Does the specified string is in the StringCollection? = " + stringCol.Contains("800"));
      Console.WriteLine("Total number of elements = " + stringCol.Count);
      Console.WriteLine("Iterating through StringCollection...");
      
      StringEnumerator myenum = stringCol.GetEnumerator();
      while (myenum.MoveNext())
         Console.WriteLine(myenum.Current);
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Array elements...
100
200
300
400
500
Does the specified string is in the StringCollection? = False
Total number of elements = 5
Iterating through StringCollection...
100
200
300
400
500

Using GetEnumerator() with Individual Additions

You can also use the enumerator when elements are added individually using the Add() method −

Example

using System;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      StringCollection stringCol = new StringCollection();
      
      stringCol.Add("10");
      stringCol.Add("20");
      stringCol.Add("30");
      stringCol.Add("40");
      stringCol.Add("50");
      stringCol.Add("60");
      stringCol.Add("70");
      stringCol.Add("80");
      stringCol.Add("90");
      stringCol.Add("100");
      
      Console.WriteLine("Elements...");
      foreach (string res in stringCol) {
         Console.WriteLine(res);
      }
      
      Console.WriteLine("Iterating through StringCollection with Enumerator...");
      StringEnumerator myenum = stringCol.GetEnumerator();
      while (myenum.MoveNext())
         Console.WriteLine(myenum.Current);
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Elements...
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Iterating through StringCollection with Enumerator...
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Comparison of Iteration Methods

Conclusion

The GetEnumerator() method in StringCollection returns a StringEnumerator that provides manual control over iteration using MoveNext() and Current. While foreach loops are more convenient, enumerators offer fine-grained control when needed for specific iteration requirements.