Check if the BitArray is read-only in C#

In this article, we will discuss how the BitArray is read-only. The BitArray class maintains a compact array of bit values represented as Boolean values. If it returns true, the bit indicates 1, and if it returns false the bit indicates 0. This class is inherited in the System.Collections namespace. The BitArray.IsReadOnly property is used to retrieve a value that indicates whether the BitArray is read-only.

Properties of the BitArray:

The BitArray class is a collection class whose capacity is always equal to a number. Increasing the Length property adds elements to the BitArray, and decreasing the length property removes elements. In this collection, elements can be accessed using the integer index, which is zero-based. The IsReadOnly class allows us to retrieve a value that indicates whether a BitArray is read-only. The ReadOnly does not allow new elements to be added to the BitArray.

Syntax:

It has the following syntax:

Example:

Let us take an example to illustrate the BitArray property in C#.

Filename: BitArray1.cs

using System;
using System.Collections;
public class BitArrays{
   public static void Main() {
      BitArray a1 = new BitArray(2);
      BitArray a2 = new BitArray(2);
      a1[0] = false;
      a1[1] = true;
      Console.WriteLine("The Elements in the BitArrray1 are...");
      foreach (bool res in a1) {
         Console.WriteLine(res);
      }
      a2[0] = false;
      a2[1] = true;
      Console.WriteLine("The Elements in the BitArrray2 are...");
      foreach (bool result in a2) {
         Console.WriteLine(result);
      }
      Console.WriteLine("Is BitArray1 equal to BitArray2? = "+a2.Equals(a1));
      Console.WriteLine("Is BitArray is the synchronized array? = "+a2.IsSynchronized);
      Console.WriteLine("Is the BitArray read-only? = "+a2.IsReadOnly);
   }
}

Output:

The Elements in the BitArrray1 are...
False
True
The Elements in the BitArrray2 are...
False
True
Is BitArray1 equal to BitArray2? = False
Is BitArray is the synchronized array? = False
Is the BitArray read-only? = False

Explanation:

In this example, the C# program shows the primary function BitArray type of the System.Collections namespace in general. It demonstrates how to initialize BitArray instances, set the values for each bit, iterate the items, determine whether the BitArray instances are equal or not, and finally access the other parameters like synchronization and read-only status. The BitArray class is essential in efficient operations with collections of boolean values, which are represented in bits together, offering a simple way to perform such operations dealing with the binary data at a high level.

Example 2:

Let us take another example to illustrate the BitArray in C#.

Filename: BitArray2.cs

using System;
using System.Collections;
public class BitArrays{
   public static void Main() {
      BitArray a1 = new BitArray(2);
      BitArray a2 = new BitArray(2);
      a1[0] = false;
      a1[1] = true;
      Console.WriteLine("The Elements in the BitArrray1 are...");
      foreach(bool res in a1) {
         Console.WriteLine(res);
      }
      a2[0] = true;
      a2[1] = false;
      Console.WriteLine("The Elements in the BitArrray2 are...");
      foreach (bool result in a2) {
         Console.WriteLine(result);
      }
      Console.WriteLine("Is BitArray1 equal to BitArray2? = "+a2.Equals(a1));
      Console.WriteLine("Is the BitArray read-only? = "+a2.IsReadOnly);
   }
}

Output:

The Elements in the BitArrray1 are...
False
True
The Elements in the BitArrray2 are...
True
False
Is BitArray1 equal to BitArray2? = False
Is the BitArray read-only? = False

Explanation:

In this example, the third parameter is "size", which defines the count of the bits inside the BitArray. The values are assigned to the Bits present in the BitArray a1, and then a for each loop is used to print the elements; the same procedure is used for the BitArray a2. The values are assigned to the bits present in the BitArray, and the elements are printed again. The program checks whether the BitArray a1 is equal to bitArray a2 using the Equal() method. The IsReadOnly property is with the read-only BitArray.

Key Points to Remember:

Array implements the IsReadOnly property because the System requires the IList interface.
A read-only array does not allow elements to be added, removed, or modified after the array is created.
If users require read-only collections, they should use the System.
It has a collections class, which implements the Collections.IList interface.
When a user casts or converts an array to the IList interface object, the IList.IsReadOnly property returns false.
However, when the user casts or converts the array to the IList interface, the IsReadOnly property returns true.
Finding the value of this property is achieved by an O(1) operation.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this article explains how the BitArray is read-only in C#. By using the IsReadOnly property, we can check whether we can add new elements to the array or not. The two programs mentioned above use the IsReadOnly method to determine the read-only property.

Next TopicDecimal.Compare() Method in C#

← prev next →