C# Academy · Lesson

The Spread Element

Combine collections with the spread operator.

The Spread Element is a free C# Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C# Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

The Spread Element ..

Inside a collection expression, the spread element .. inlines the contents of another collection. It is how you combine sequences declaratively.

using System;

int[] a = [1, 2, 3];
int[] b = [4, 5, 6];
int[] all = [..a, ..b];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", all)); // 1,2,3,4,5,6

Mixing Spreads and Single Elements

You can freely interleave spread elements with individual values, and the order is preserved.

using System;

int[] middle = [2, 3, 4];
int[] result = [1, ..middle, 5];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", result)); // 1,2,3,4,5

Prepending and Appending

Spreads make "add to the front" or "add to the back" trivial, producing a new collection rather than mutating the original.

using System;

int[] core = [10, 20, 30];
int[] withHead = [0, ..core];
int[] withTail = [..core, 40];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", withHead)); // 0,10,20,30
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", withTail)); // 10,20,30,40

Spreading Multiple Sources

Any number of collections can be spread into one. This concatenates several lists in a single expression.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

List<string> x = ["a", "b"];
List<string> y = ["c"];
List<string> z = ["d", "e"];
List<string> merged = [..x, ..y, ..z];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", merged)); // a,b,c,d,e

Spreading Different Collection Types

The spread source can be any enumerable: an array into a list, a list into an array, and so on. The target type controls the result.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

int[] arr = [1, 2];
List<int> list = [3, 4];
int[] combined = [..arr, ..list];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", combined)); // 1,2,3,4

Spreading IEnumerable

Even lazy sequences from LINQ can be spread; they are enumerated when the new collection is built.

using System;
using System.Linq;

var evens = Enumerable.Range(1, 6).Where(n => n % 2 == 0);
int[] result = [0, ..evens];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", result)); // 0,2,4,6

Building Up Collections

Spreads are great for incremental construction without imperative Add calls.

using System;

int[] baseline = [1, 2, 3];
int[] extra = [4, 5];
int[] full = [..baseline, ..extra, 6];
Console.WriteLine(full.Length); // 6

Order Is Significant

The resulting sequence follows the textual order of elements and spreads, so swapping spreads changes the output.

using System;

int[] a = [1, 2];
int[] b = [3, 4];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", [..a, ..b])); // 1,2,3,4
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", [..b, ..a])); // 3,4,1,2

Spreads vs Concat

Spreads often replace Concat + ToArray. They read more clearly and let the compiler size the result efficiently.

using System;
using System.Linq;

int[] a = [1, 2];
int[] b = [3, 4];
// old
int[] oldWay = a.Concat(b).ToArray();
// new
int[] newWay = [..a, ..b];
Console.WriteLine(oldWay.SequenceEqual(newWay)); // True

Spreading into Spans

Because the target can be a span, you can combine data with potential stack allocation for performance-sensitive paths.

using System;

ReadOnlySpan<int> head = [1, 2];
ReadOnlySpan<int> tail = [3, 4];
int[] joined = [..head, ..tail];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(",", joined)); // 1,2,3,4

A Practical Merge

Here we merge default settings with overrides in one expression, keeping later values after the defaults.

using System;

string[] defaults = ["--verbose", "--color"];
string[] userArgs = ["--output=log.txt"];
string[] finalArgs = [..defaults, ..userArgs];
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(" ", finalArgs));

Quick Check

Verify your understanding of the spread element.

Recap

You learned the spread element .. inside collection expressions.

[..a, ..b] concatenates collections.
Spreads mix with single elements and preserve order.
Sources can be arrays, lists, spans, or any IEnumerable.
It is a clearer alternative to Concat().ToArray().

Frequently asked questions

Is the “The Spread Element” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “The Spread Element” is free to read here on the web, and the C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the C# Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “The Spread Element”?

Combine collections with the spread operator. You practise C# Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start C# Academy?

No prior experience is required. C# Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “The Spread Element” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this C# Academy lesson?

Yes. Every C# Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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