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C# String Array

String arrays allow storing multiple strings together. There are several equivalent ways to declare and initialize string arrays, including initializing elements directly or separately assigning values later. String arrays can be used as fields within classes and accessed via properties or indexers. Loops like foreach and for can be used to iterate over the elements of a string array.

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301 views

C# String Array

String arrays allow storing multiple strings together. There are several equivalent ways to declare and initialize string arrays, including initializing elements directly or separately assigning values later. String arrays can be used as fields within classes and accessed via properties or indexers. Loops like foreach and for can be used to iterate over the elements of a string array.

Uploaded by

Amoy Pixel Nicholson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C# String Arrays

Strings sometimes need to


be stored together. One way
to do this is with a string
array. Several different
syntax forms are used to
declare and create string
arrays. They are often
compiled into equivalent
code.
String
Example
First, there are several ways to declare and
instantiate a string array local variable. In the
C# language, a string array is of type string[].
The reference can be null or assigned to a new
string[]. Square brackets are used.
Note:
All of these ways are equivalent in the
compiled code, so please choose the one
you think is clearest or easiest to read.
Program that initializes string arrays: C#
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// String arrays with 3 elements:
string[] arr1 = new string[] { "one", "two", "three" };
string[] arr2 = { "one", "two", "three" };
var arr3 = new string[] { "one", "two", "three" };
string[] arr4 = new string[3];
arr4[0] = "one";
arr4[1] = "two";
arr4[2] = "three";
}
}
Go
C#: Array
C# Classes
C# Csharp
VB Net
Result
Four string arrays are initialized.
The above Main
function shows four
string arrays, each
equivalent to the
compiler. The biggest difference is that the first
three arrays are declared on one line, while
the fourth array is assigned in separate
statements.
Tip:
The fourth array would allow you to test
each value or insert logic as you assign it.
This is sometimes useful.
The above
initializations each
result in several
intermediate language
instructions. To create the
array reference, "newarr
string" is emitted. And
then to assign each
element the instruction
"stelem" is used.
newarr Instruction
stelem Instruction
Fields
Next we use string arrays as fields or
properties in classes. This is useful for storing
values, either statically or in instances. You can
also return string arrays, with methods or
indexers.
Next:
The first part of the code is the Main
method, which is the standard program
entry point.
Then:
A new
instance of
the Test class is created.
That class contains an array of strings.
Program that uses string array: C#
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// Create new instance with string array.
Test test = new Test();
// Loop over elements with property.
foreach (string element in test.Elements)
{
System.Console.WriteLine(element);
}
System.Console.WriteLine(test[0]); // Get first string element
}
}
public class Test
{
/// <summary>
/// String array field instance.
/// </summary>
string[] _elements = { "one", "two", "three" };
/// <summary>
/// String array property getter.
/// </summary>
public string[] Elements
{
get { return _elements; }
}
/// <summary>
/// String array indexer.
/// </summary>
public string this[int index]
{
get { return _elements[index]; }
}
}
Output
one
two
three
one
In this
example, the
Test class
contains a
string array field. The elements in the array
are actually added in the constructor for the
class, which the C# compiler generates
automatically.
The second part of the Test class is a property
accessor. It provides a clean way for external
code to access the internal array. Properties
are not useful in many cases, but in some
systems can help.
Indexer:
The final part of
the Test class is
called an
Indexer.
An indexer uses the this-keyword.
Note:
This is a function that receives one
parameter, an integer, and returns a value
based on that parameter.
Indexer
Empty property
As you will see on the MSDN
array usage guidelines, returning
a null string array in a property
can be confusing to callers. It is
therefore discouraged. We examine this issue
with array properties, and review also MSDN.
Array Property, Return Empty Array
Types
This article focuses on
string arrays, and string
arrays are different
from other arrays in
some ways. Strings are
the only data type you
can declare with quoted
values. Also, strings are
reference types and can
be null, unlike integers.
Even though strings
and string arrays are
different in their syntax,
the general usage
remains the same. You
could substitute int
arrays or object arrays and the balance of the
program would not change much.
Convert:
A common problem with string arrays is
converting them to other types of arrays
and strings. Custom methods are often
used.
Tip:
This site has more detailed information
about converting string arrays to strings,
and char arrays and strings.
Convert String Array to String
Loops
To continue, you can loop over string arrays in
your C# programs. There are two main ways
to loop over string arrays: the foreach and for-
loops. These loop constructs are covered in
depth in separate
articles.
Loop Over String
Array
Foreach
For
Summary
We declared string
arrays in several
different ways.
These syntax forms
are often compiled
to similar code. It
is effective to use
string arrays in return values and also in
indexers.
Tip:
In these situations, a good technique is to
return empty string arrays. This avoids
excess complexity.
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