--- title: "How to search in C# array?" description: "How to search in C# array?" author: "Steilla Mitchel" published: 2024-06-11 updated: 2024-06-11 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160710/how-to-search-in-c-sharp-array category: "c#" tags: ["c#", ".net"] reading_time: 6 minutes --- # How to search in C# array? How to [search](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/65368/best-smo-services-company-in-hyderabad-improve-search-rankings) in C# [array](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/335/jagged-array-in-c-sharp-dot-net)? ## Replies ### Reply by Ravi Vishwakarma Here we are discuss to search a text in the array. **Step 1:** Create `Student` class with override `ToString()` in C# ```cs using System.Reflection; using System.Text; namespace ConsoleApp1 { // Define the Student class public class Student { public int Id { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } public int Age { get; set; } public string Grade { get; set; } public float? Marks { get; set; } public string FatherName { get; set; } public override string ToString() { StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(""); foreach (PropertyInfo property in this.GetType().GetProperties()) { sb.AppendFormat("{0}: {1} ", property.Name, property.GetValue(this)); } return sb.ToString(); } } } ``` **Step 2:** Create `DisplayStudent` method to display a student list on the console, Which is generic type display method. ```cs public void DisplayStudent(TArray[] data) { // Print a separator line Console.WriteLine("-----------------------------------------------"); // Print the total number of records Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red; Console.WriteLine("Total Records : " + (data != null ? data.Length : 0)); Console.ResetColor(); // Iterate through the data array and print each item foreach (var item in data) { Console.WriteLine(item); } // Print another separator line Console.WriteLine("-----------------------------------------------"); } ``` **Step 3:** Create `SearchStudents` method to search the use query in the list of students, This method has one extra feature which is the **whole search**. ```cs public Student[] SearchStudents(string SearchQuery, bool IsApplyWholeSearch = false) { // List to store matching students IList NewStudents = new List(); if (students != null) { if (!IsApplyWholeSearch) { // Iterate through the students array foreach (Student item in this.students) { // Check if the student's name contains the search query (case-insensitive) if (item.Name.Contains(SearchQuery, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { // Add matching student to the list NewStudents.Add(item); } } } else { // Iterate through the students array foreach (Student item in this.students) { foreach (var property in item.GetType().GetProperties()) { // // Get the value of the property, Check if the student fields contains the search query (case-insensitive) if (property.GetValue(item).ToString().Contains(SearchQuery, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { // Add matching student to the list NewStudents.Add(item); break; // Break inner loop if a match is found } } } } } // Convert the list to an array Student[] _students = new Student[NewStudents.Count]; NewStudents.CopyTo(_students, 0); return _students; } ``` **Step 4:** Bind the whole code in one program. ```cs using System; using System.Collections.Generic; namespace ConsoleApp1 { public class Program { // Create an array to hold 10 students Student[] students = new Student[10]; public static void Main() { // Instantiate the Program class Program Program = new Program(); // Initialize student data Program.InitlizeData(); // Display all students initially Program.DisplayStudent(Program.students); // Variable to hold user input string str = string.Empty; do { Console.WriteLine("Enter student name to search, or Press exit to close program."); // Read user input str = Console.ReadLine(); // Check if the input is not empty or "exit" if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(str) && !str.Equals("exit", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { // Display search results Program.DisplayStudent(Program.SearchStudents(str, true)); } else { // Exit the program if "exit" is entered return; } } while (true); // Wait for the user to press a key before closing (not reached due to return above) Console.ReadLine(); } public void InitlizeData() { // Populate the array with 10 student records students[0] = new Student { Id = 1, Name = "Alice Bob", Age = 20, Grade = "A", Marks = 950, FatherName = "Nich Alice" }; students[1] = new Student { Id = 2, Name = "Bob Hank", Age = 21, Grade = "B", Marks = 250, FatherName = "John Martin" }; students[2] = new Student { Id = 3, Name = "Charlie", Age = 22, Grade = "A", Marks = 50, FatherName = "Dash Can" }; students[3] = new Student { Id = 4, Name = "David Eve", Age = 23, Grade = "C", Marks = 530, FatherName = "" }; students[4] = new Student { Id = 5, Name = "Eve", Age = 20, Grade = "B", Marks = 150, FatherName = "Bob Charlie" }; students[5] = new Student { Id = 6, Name = "Frank", Age = 21, Grade = "A", Marks = 510, FatherName = "Nich Alice" }; students[6] = new Student { Id = 7, Name = "Eve Grace", Age = 22, Grade = "B", Marks = 50, FatherName = "Nich Frank" }; students[7] = new Student { Id = 8, Name = "Hank", Age = 23, Grade = "C", Marks = 540, FatherName = "Nich Eve" }; students[8] = new Student { Id = 9, Name = "Ivy", Age = 20, Grade = "A", Marks = 510, FatherName = "Hank Ivy" }; students[9] = new Student { Id = 10, Name = "Jack Ma", Age = 21, Grade = "B", Marks = 520, FatherName = "Jack Alice" }; } public Student[] SearchStudents(string SearchQuery, bool IsApplyWholeSearch = false) { // List to store matching students IList NewStudents = new List(); if (students != null) { if (!IsApplyWholeSearch) { // Iterate through the students array foreach (Student item in this.students) { // Check if the student's name contains the search query (case-insensitive) if (item.Name.Contains(SearchQuery, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { // Add matching student to the list NewStudents.Add(item); } } } else { // Iterate through the students array foreach (Student item in this.students) { foreach (var property in item.GetType().GetProperties()) { // // Get the value of the property, Check if the student fields contains the search query (case-insensitive) if (property.GetValue(item).ToString().Contains(SearchQuery, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { // Add matching student to the list NewStudents.Add(item); break; // Break inner loop if a match is found } } } } } // Convert the list to an array Student[] _students = new Student[NewStudents.Count]; NewStudents.CopyTo(_students, 0); return _students; } public void DisplayStudent(TArray[] data) { // Print a separator line Console.WriteLine("-----------------------------------------------"); // Print the total number of records Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red; Console.WriteLine("Total Records : " + (data != null ? data.Length : 0)); Console.ResetColor(); // Iterate through the data array and print each item foreach (var item in data) { Console.WriteLine(item); } // Print another separator line Console.WriteLine("-----------------------------------------------"); } } } ``` ## Output: ![How to search in C# array?](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickforums/e370a36d-3403-4489-a862-88746bc047bb/images/89963a70-e017-4202-9d2f-14aaefa7a58b.png) --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160710/how-to-search-in-c-sharp-array Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. 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