Stack<T>.Peek Method
Definition
Important
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Returns the object at the top of the Stack<T> without removing it.
public:
T Peek();public T Peek ();member this.Peek : unit -> 'TPublic Function Peek () As TReturns
The object at the top of the Stack<T>.
Exceptions
The Stack<T> is empty.
Examples
The following code example demonstrates several methods of the Stack<T> generic class, including the Peek method.
The code example creates a stack of strings with default capacity and uses the Push method to push five strings onto the stack. The elements of the stack are enumerated, which does not change the state of the stack. The Pop method is used to pop the first string off the stack. The Peek method is used to look at the next item on the stack, and then the Pop method is used to pop it off.
The ToArray method is used to create an array and copy the stack elements to it, then the array is passed to the Stack<T> constructor that takes IEnumerable<T>, creating a copy of the stack with the order of the elements reversed. The elements of the copy are displayed.
An array twice the size of the stack is created, and the CopyTo method is used to copy the array elements beginning at the middle of the array. The Stack<T> constructor is used again to create a copy of the stack with the order of elements reversed; thus, the three null elements are at the end.
The Contains method is used to show that the string "four" is in the first copy of the stack, after which the Clear method clears the copy and the Count property shows that the stack is empty.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
class Example
{
public static void Main()
{
Stack<string> numbers = new Stack<string>();
numbers.Push("one");
numbers.Push("two");
numbers.Push("three");
numbers.Push("four");
numbers.Push("five");
// A stack can be enumerated without disturbing its contents.
foreach( string number in numbers )
{
Console.WriteLine(number);
}
Console.WriteLine("\nPopping '{0}'", numbers.Pop());
Console.WriteLine("Peek at next item to destack: {0}",
numbers.Peek());
Console.WriteLine("Popping '{0}'", numbers.Pop());
// Create a copy of the stack, using the ToArray method and the
// constructor that accepts an IEnumerable<T>.
Stack<string> stack2 = new Stack<string>(numbers.ToArray());
Console.WriteLine("\nContents of the first copy:");
foreach( string number in stack2 )
{
Console.WriteLine(number);
}
// Create an array twice the size of the stack and copy the
// elements of the stack, starting at the middle of the
// array.
string[] array2 = new string[numbers.Count * 2];
numbers.CopyTo(array2, numbers.Count);
// Create a second stack, using the constructor that accepts an
// IEnumerable(Of T).
Stack<string> stack3 = new Stack<string>(array2);
Console.WriteLine("\nContents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:");
foreach( string number in stack3 )
{
Console.WriteLine(number);
}
Console.WriteLine("\nstack2.Contains(\"four\") = {0}",
stack2.Contains("four"));
Console.WriteLine("\nstack2.Clear()");
stack2.Clear();
Console.WriteLine("\nstack2.Count = {0}", stack2.Count);
}
}
/* This code example produces the following output:
five
four
three
two
one
Popping 'five'
Peek at next item to destack: four
Popping 'four'
Contents of the first copy:
one
two
three
Contents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:
one
two
three
stack2.Contains("four") = False
stack2.Clear()
stack2.Count = 0
*/
open System
open System.Collections.Generic
let numbers = Stack()
numbers.Push "one"
numbers.Push "two"
numbers.Push "three"
numbers.Push "four"
numbers.Push "five"
// A stack can be enumerated without disturbing its contents.
for number in numbers do
printfn $"{number}"
printfn $"\nPopping '{numbers.Pop()}'"
printfn $"Peek at next item to destack: {numbers.Peek()}"
numbers.Peek() |> ignore
printfn $"Popping '{numbers.Pop()}'"
// Create a copy of the stack, using the ToArray method and the
// constructor that accepts an IEnumerable<T>.
let stack2 = numbers.ToArray() |> Stack
printfn "\nContents of the first copy:"
for number in stack2 do
printfn $"{number}"
// Create an array twice the size of the stack and copy the
// elements of the stack, starting at the middle of the
// array.
let array2 = numbers.Count * 2 |> Array.zeroCreate
numbers.CopyTo(array2, numbers.Count)
// Create a second stack, using the constructor that accepts an
// IEnumerable(Of T).
let stack3 = Stack array2
printfn "\nContents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:"
for number in stack3 do
printfn $"{number}"
printfn
$"""
stack2.Contains "four" = {stack2.Contains "four"}"""
printfn "\nstack2.Clear()"
stack2.Clear()
printfn $"\nstack2.Count = {stack2.Count}"
// This code example produces the following output:
// five
// four
// three
// two
// one
//
// Popping 'five'
// Peek at next item to destack: four
// Popping 'four'
//
// Contents of the first copy:
// one
// two
// three
//
// Contents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:
// one
// two
// three
//
// stack2.Contains("four") = False
//
// stack2.Clear()
//
// stack2.Count = 0
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Module Example
Sub Main
Dim numbers As New Stack(Of String)
numbers.Push("one")
numbers.Push("two")
numbers.Push("three")
numbers.Push("four")
numbers.Push("five")
' A stack can be enumerated without disturbing its contents.
For Each number As String In numbers
Console.WriteLine(number)
Next
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Popping '{0}'", numbers.Pop())
Console.WriteLine("Peek at next item to pop: {0}", _
numbers.Peek())
Console.WriteLine("Popping '{0}'", numbers.Pop())
' Create another stack, using the ToArray method and the
' constructor that accepts an IEnumerable(Of T). Note that
' the order of items on the new stack is reversed.
Dim stack2 As New Stack(Of String)(numbers.ToArray())
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Contents of the first copy:")
For Each number As String In stack2
Console.WriteLine(number)
Next
' Create an array twice the size of the stack, compensating
' for the fact that Visual Basic allocates an extra array
' element. Copy the elements of the stack, starting at the
' middle of the array.
Dim array2((numbers.Count * 2) - 1) As String
numbers.CopyTo(array2, numbers.Count)
' Create a second stack, using the constructor that accepts an
' IEnumerable(Of T). The elements are reversed, with the null
' elements appearing at the end of the stack when enumerated.
Dim stack3 As New Stack(Of String)(array2)
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
"Contents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:")
For Each number As String In stack3
Console.WriteLine(number)
Next
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "stack2.Contains(""four"") = {0}", _
stack2.Contains("four"))
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "stack2.Clear()")
stack2.Clear()
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "stack2.Count = {0}", _
stack2.Count)
End Sub
End Module
' This code example produces the following output:
'
'five
'four
'three
'two
'one
'
'Popping 'five'
'Peek at next item to pop: four
'Popping 'four'
'
'Contents of the first copy:
'one
'two
'three
'
'Contents of the second copy, with duplicates and nulls:
'one
'two
'three
'
'
'
'
'stack2.Contains("four") = False
'
'stack2.Clear()
'
'stack2.Count = 0
Remarks
This method is similar to the Pop method, but Peek does not modify the Stack<T>.
If type T is a reference type, null can be pushed onto the Stack<T> as a placeholder, if needed.
This method is an O(1) operation.
