C Arrays Tutorial

1. What is an Array?

An array is a collection of variables that share the same data type and are stored sequentially in memory.

2. Declaring an Array

To declare an array in C, specify the data type, array name, and size:

Edit Copy

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5]; // Declaration of an array with size 5

    return 0;
}

The above code declares an integer array of size 5.

3. Initializing an Array

Arrays can be initialized at the time of declaration:

Edit Copy

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; // Array initialization

    return 0;
}

The values are assigned to the array elements in sequence.

4. Accessing Array Elements

Array elements are accessed using their index, starting from 0:

Edit Copy

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

    printf("First element: %d\\n", numbers[0]); // Accessing the first element

    return 0;
}

Use the index to read or write data to specific array elements.

5. Multi-dimensional Arrays

C supports multi-dimensional arrays, like 2D arrays:

Edit Copy

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int matrix[2][3] = {
        {1, 2, 3},
        {4, 5, 6}
    };

    printf("Element at [1][2]: %d\\n", matrix[1][2]); // Accessing element

    return 0;
}

2D arrays are commonly used for matrices or tables.

6. Conclusion

Arrays are essential for handling lists of data. Practice with both single-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays to master their usage.