Arrays

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 Introduction to Arrays
 A collection of variable data
 Same name
 Same type
 Contiguous block of memory
 Can manipulate or use
 Individual variables or
 ‘List’ as one entity

Celsius
temperatures:
I’ll name it c.
Type is int.
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 Introduction to Arrays
 Used for lists of like items
 Scores, speeds, weights, etc.
 Avoids declaring multiple simple variables
 Used when we need to keep lots of values in memory
 Sorting
 Determining the number of scores above/below the
mean
 Printing values in the reverse order of reading
 Etc.

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 Declaring Arrays
 General Format for declaring arrays
<data type> <variable> [<size>];
 Declaration
 Declaring the array  allocates memory
 Static entity - same size throughout program
 Examples
Type is int.
Name is c.

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 Defined Constant as Array Size
 Use defined/named constant for array size
 Improves readability
 Improves versatility
 Improves maintainability
 Examples:

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 Powerful Storage Mechanism
 Can perform subtasks like:
 "Do this to i-th indexed variable"
where i is computed by program
 "Fill elements of array scores from user input"
 "Display all elements of array scores“
 “Sort array scores in order”
 “Determine the sum or average score”
 "Find highest value in array scores"
 "Find lowest value in array scores"

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 Accessing Array Elements
 Individual parts called many things:
 Elements of the array
 Indexed or
subscripted variables
 To refer to an element:
 Array name and subscript or index
 Format: arrayname[subscript]
 Zero based
 c[0] refers to c0, c sub zero,
the first element of array c

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 Accessing Array Elements
 Example

 Note two uses of brackets:

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 Accessing Array Elements
 Example
 Given the declaration

 We reference elements of scores by

scores [0]

scores [1]

… subscript/index

scores [11]

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 Accessing Array Elements
 Size, subscript need not be literal constant
 Can be named constant or expression

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 Major Array Pitfall
 Array indexes go from 0 through size-1!
 C will 'let' you go out of the array’s bounds
 Unpredictable results – may get segmentation fault
 Compiler will not detect these errors!
 Up to programmer to 'stay in bounds‘
?

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 for-loops with Arrays
 Natural counting loop
 Naturally works well 'counting thru'
elements of an array
 General form for forward direction
 for (subscript = 0; subscript < size; subscript++)
 General form for reverse direction
 for (subscript = size-1; subscript >= 0; subscript--)

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 for-loops with Arrays Examples

Score 1 is 56 Score 12 is 87
Score 2 is 52 Score 11 is 97
Score 3 is 80 Score 10 is 86
Score 4 is 74 Score 9 is 80
... ...
Score 12 is 87 Score 1 is 56

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 Uses of Defined Constant
 Use everywhere size of array is needed
 In for-loop for traversal:

 In calculations involving size:

 When passing array a function:

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 Initializing Arrays
 Arrays can be initialized at declaration

 Size cannot be variable or named constant

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 Auto-Initializing Arrays
 If fewer values than size supplied:
 Fills from beginning
 Fills 'rest' with zero of array base type
 Declaration

 Performs initialization

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 Auto-Initializing Arrays
 If array size is left out
 Declares array with size required based on number of
initialization values
 Example:

 Allocates array scores with size of 3

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 Multidimensional Arrays
 Arrays with more than one dimension
 Declaration: Additional sizes each enclosed in brackets
 Two dimensions
 Table or ‘array of arrays’

 Requires two subscripts – row and column

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 Initializing
Multidimensional
 Nested lists
 Unspecified values set to zero
 2D Example:

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 Three-dimensional Visualization

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 Multidimensional Array Parameters
 Must specify size after first dimension

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 THE END

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