C# List Exists Method

Exist returns whether a List element is found. Although you could use a loop and an if-statement, the Exists method may be clearer in some program contexts. In this example, we invoke the Exists method on the List type with a lambda expression.

This C# example program demonstrates the Exists method on the List type.

Example

Here we see the Exists method on List, which is an instance method that returns true or false depending on whether any element matches the Predicate parameter. The Predicate is a method that returns true or false when passed each element.

Program that uses Exists method on List [C#]

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
	List<int> list = new List<int>();
	list.Add(7);
	list.Add(11);
	list.Add(13);

	// See if any elements with values greater than 10 exist
	bool exists = list.Exists(element => element > 10);
	Console.WriteLine(exists);

	// Check for numbers less than 7
	exists = list.Exists(element => element < 7);
	Console.WriteLine(exists);
    }
}

Output

True
False

Description. The example for Exists above tests first to see if any element in the List exists that has a value greater than 10, which returns true. Then it tests for values less than 7, which returns false. You can also see the Find method in a separate article.

Summary

In this example, we looked at the Exists instance method on the List type in the C# language and .NET Framework. As a quick way to determine if an element exists, the Exists method is useful in many different programs.