Arrays
C Programming
Lecture Topics
Array definition
Array declaration
Array assignment
Array Input / Output
Examples
What is an Array?
◼ It’s a collection of variables (the same type)
grouped into one name.
◼ More specifically, it’s a group of memory
locations for variables of the same type and
specified by the same name.
◼ It makes dealing with related variables much
easier.
Parts of Arrays
Elements
Refers to the number of individual items
represented by the array
Index (or more formally, Subscript)
Refers to one particular element in the array
The first position in an array is represented by
an index, or subscript of 0 (zero). For example,
• arrStudentGrades[ 0 ]
The second position is referred to by
• arrStudentGrades[ 1 ]
Arrays
An array is an ordered list of values
An array of size N is indexed from zero to N-1
This array holds 10 values that are indexed from 0 to 9
Arrays
A particular value in an array is referenced using
the array name followed by the index in brackets
For example, the expression
scores[2]
refers to the value 94 (the 3rd value in the array)
That expression represents a place to store a
single integer and can be used wherever an
integer variable can be used
Arrays
For example, an array element can be assigned a
value, printed, or used in a calculation:
scores[2] = 89;
scores[first] = scores[first] + 2;
mean = (scores[0] + scores[1])/2;
printf ("Top = %d”, scores[5]);
So how do we use arrays?
Same concepts as other variables apply
Must declare the array
Must initialize the array
Can use arrays in expressions and functions,
setting elements’ values or using their values,
similar to the use of ordinary variables
Declaring an array
The declaration is similar to the declaration of
other variables (except for the brackets and
number of elements):
int iMyFirstArray[ 15 ], iMySecondArray[ 20 ];
You can use a #define constant to set the size
of the array
#define GRID_ROWS_MAX 8 int
arrGridRows[ GRID_ROWS_MAX ] ;
Declaring Arrays
The scores array could be declared as
follows:
int scores[10] ;
The type of the variable scores is an array
of integers
The variable scores is set to a new blank
array that can hold 10 integers
Declaring Arrays
Some examples of array declarations:
double prices[500] ;
int factor[12] , age[6];
char codes[30] ;
Initializing an Array
You can initialize an array when you declare it, as
you do with other variables
Syntax is slightly different, as you are now
initializing more than one element at a time
One way at declaration, using initializers: int
iMyFirstArray[ 5 ] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 } ;
Note the braces around the initial zeroes which
themselves are separated by commas
Initializing an Array (cont’d)
If you specify fewer initializing values
than you have elements, all the rest are
initialized to a value of 0. For example:
int iMyFirstArray[ 5 ] = { 0 }; would set
all elements to 0
int iMyFirstArray[ 5 ] = { 4 }; would set
the zeroth element to 4 and the rest to 0!
Initializing an array without
specifying size
You can also initialize and set the number
of elements with the same step:
int iMyFirstArray[ ] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 } ;
Note: there is NO size specified; C
automatically makes it 5 elements since
you gave five initial values
Initializer Lists
Examples:
int units[ ] = {147, 323, 89, 933, 540,
269, 97, 114, 298, 476}; char letterGrades[
] = {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', ’F'};
Note that an initializer list can only be
used in the array declaration
Initializing array with a for loop
After declaring an array, you can initialize it in
the body of your program by using a for loop:
int i = 0, iMyFirstArray[ 5 ] ; /* size is 5*/
for ( i = 0 ; i <= 4 ; i++
)
{ iMyFirstArray[ i ] = 0 ;
} /* end for i */
Note the upper bound is 4, not 5. That is, you
loop through 0 to 4 to initialize an array with 5
elements
Bounds Checking
Once an array is created, it has a fixed size
An index used in an array reference must
specify a valid element
That is, the index value must be in bounds
(0 to N-1)
Bounds Checking
For example, if the array codes can hold
100 values, it can be indexed using only
the numbers 0 to 99
If count has the value 100, then the
following reference will cause a problem:
problem
for (int index=0; index <= 100; index++)
codes[index] = index*50 + epsilon;
Array Input/ Output
We typically use for loops for any kind of
array processing.
To input an array, one by one:
for (i=0; i<10 ; i++ ) { printf(“
Enter element %d : “, i ); scanf (
“ %d “, &scores[i] );
}
Array Output
To display an array, one element per line:
for (i=0; i<10 ; i++ )
{
printf(“ scores [%d] : %d\n“, i ,
scores[i] );
}
#define SIZE 10
int main()
{
int myFirstArray[SIZE], i;
for (i=0; i<=SIZE-1; i++)
{
myFirstArray[i] = i * 2;
printf("myFirstArray with subscript of %d holds the
value %d\n", i, myFirstArray[i]);
}
return 0;
}
Two-Dimensional Arrays
A one-dimensional array stores a list of elements
A two-dimensional array can be thought of as a table of
elements, with rows and columns
Two Dimensional Arrays
Declaration: int arr[5][5];
Traversed using two nested for loops:
for (i = 0; i<=4 ; i++)
for (j = 0; j<=4; j++)
arr[i][j] = i * j;
Multi dimensional arrays
Arrays can be 3 dimensional, 4
dimensional, or of n dimensions.
int arr[3][3][3];
Parallel Arrays
These are independent arrays of the same
size, that have a meaningful connection to
each other.
For example, one array with a students
gpa, and one with his letter grade.
3.8 A
GPA grade
Example
Write a program that reads in an array of
10 elements, gets their average, and then
display the deviation of each element from
that average.
