---
title: Iterate Through All Nodes of TreeView Control
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
  - "cpp"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "examples [Windows Forms], TreeView control"
  - "TreeView control [Windows Forms], iterating through nodes"
  - "tree nodes in TreeView control [Windows Forms], iterating through"
ms.assetid: 427f8928-ebcf-4beb-887f-695b905d5134
---
# How to: Iterate Through All Nodes of a Windows Forms TreeView Control
It is sometimes useful to examine every node in a Windows Forms <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> control in order to perform some calculation on the node values. This operation can be done using a recursive procedure (recursive method in C# and C++) that iterates through each node in each collection of the tree.  
  
 Each <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode> object in a tree view has properties that you can use to navigate the tree view: <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.FirstNode%2A>, <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.LastNode%2A>, <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.NextNode%2A>, <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.PrevNode%2A>, and <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.Parent%2A>. The value of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.Parent%2A> property is the parent node of the current node. The child nodes of the current node, if there are any, are listed in its <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.Nodes%2A> property. The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> control itself has the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.TopNode%2A> property, which is the root node of the entire tree view.  
  
### To iterate through all nodes of the TreeView control  
  
1. Create a recursive procedure (recursive method in C# and C++) that tests each node.  
  
2. Call the procedure.  
  
     The following example shows how to print each <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode> object's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.Text%2A> property:  
  
    ```vb  
    Private Sub PrintRecursive(ByVal n As TreeNode)  
       System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(n.Text)  
       MessageBox.Show(n.Text)  
       Dim aNode As TreeNode  
       For Each aNode In n.Nodes  
          PrintRecursive(aNode)  
       Next  
    End Sub  
  
    ' Call the procedure using the top nodes of the treeview.  
    Private Sub CallRecursive(ByVal aTreeView As TreeView)  
       Dim n As TreeNode  
       For Each n In aTreeView.Nodes  
          PrintRecursive(n)  
       Next  
    End Sub  
    ```  
  
    ```csharp  
    private void PrintRecursive(TreeNode treeNode)  
    {  
       // Print the node.  
       System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(treeNode.Text);  
       MessageBox.Show(treeNode.Text);  
       // Print each node recursively.  
       foreach (TreeNode tn in treeNode.Nodes)  
       {  
          PrintRecursive(tn);  
       }  
    }  
  
    // Call the procedure using the TreeView.  
    private void CallRecursive(TreeView treeView)  
    {  
       // Print each node recursively.  
       TreeNodeCollection nodes = treeView.Nodes;  
       foreach (TreeNode n in nodes)  
       {  
          PrintRecursive(n);  
       }  
    }  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    private:  
       void PrintRecursive( TreeNode^ treeNode )  
       {  
          // Print the node.  
          System::Diagnostics::Debug::WriteLine( treeNode->Text );  
          MessageBox::Show( treeNode->Text );  
  
          // Print each node recursively.  
          System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myNodes = (safe_cast<System::Collections::IEnumerable^>(treeNode->Nodes))->GetEnumerator();  
          try  
          {  
             while ( myNodes->MoveNext() )  
             {  
                TreeNode^ tn = safe_cast<TreeNode^>(myNodes->Current);  
                PrintRecursive( tn );  
             }  
          }  
          finally  
          {  
             IDisposable^ disposable = dynamic_cast<System::IDisposable^>(myNodes);  
             if ( disposable != nullptr )  
                      disposable->Dispose();  
          }  
       }  
  
       // Call the procedure using the TreeView.  
       void CallRecursive( TreeView^ treeView )  
       {  
          // Print each node recursively.  
          TreeNodeCollection^ nodes = treeView->Nodes;  
          System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myNodes = (safe_cast<System::Collections::IEnumerable^>(nodes))->GetEnumerator();  
          try  
          {  
             while ( myNodes->MoveNext() )  
             {  
                TreeNode^ n = safe_cast<TreeNode^>(myNodes->Current);  
                PrintRecursive( n );  
             }  
          }  
          finally  
          {  
             IDisposable^ disposable = dynamic_cast<System::IDisposable^>(myNodes);  
             if ( disposable != nullptr )  
                      disposable->Dispose();  
          }  
       }  
    ```  
  
## See also

- [TreeView Control](treeview-control-windows-forms.md)
- [Recursive Procedures](https://docs.microsoft.com/dotnet/visual-basic/programming-guide/language-features/procedures/recursive-procedures)