Java Arrays
Normally, an array is a collection of similar type
of elements which has contiguous memory
location.
Java array is an object which contains elements
of a similar data type. Additionally, The elements
of an array are stored in a contiguous memory
location. It is a data structure where we store
similar elements. We can store only a fixed set of
elements in a Java array.
Array in Java is index-based, the first element of
the array is stored at the 0th index, 2nd element
is stored on 1st index and so on.
Unlike C/C++, we can get the length of the array
using the length member. In C/C++, we need to
use the sizeof operator.
In Java, array is an object of a dynamically
generated class. Java array inherits the Object
class, and implements the Serializable as well as
Cloneable interfaces. We can store primitive
values or objects in an array in Java. Like C/C++,
we can also create single dimentional or
multidimentional arrays in Java.
Moreover, Java provides the feature of
anonymous arrays which is not available in C/C+
+.
Advantages
ADVERTISEMENT
o Code Optimization: It makes the code
optimized, we can retrieve or sort the data
efficiently.
o Random access: We can get any data
located at an index position.
Disadvantages
o Size Limit: We can store only the fixed size
of elements in the array. It doesn't grow its
size at runtime. To solve this problem,
collection framework is used in Java which
grows automatically.
Types of Array in java
There are two types of array.
o Single Dimensional Array
o Multidimensional Array
Single Dimensional Array in Java
Syntax to Declare an Array in Java
1.dataType[] arr; (or)
2.dataType []arr; (or)
3.dataType arr[];
Instantiation of an Array in Java
1.arrayRefVar=new datatype[size];
Example of Java Array
Let's see the simple example of java array, where
we are going to declare, instantiate, initialize and
traverse an array.
1.//Java Program to illustrate how to declare, in
stantiate, initialize
2.//and traverse the Java array.
3.class Testarray{
4.public static void main(String args[]){
5.int a[]=new int[5];//declaration and instanti
ation
6.a[0]=10;//initialization
7.a[1]=20;
8.a[2]=70;
9.a[3]=40;
10. a[4]=50;
11. //traversing array
12. for(int i=0;i<a.length;i++)//length is the
property of array
13. System.out.println(a[i]);
14. }}
Output:
10
20
70
40
50
Declaration, Instantiation and Initialization of Java Array
We can declare, instantiate and initialize the java
array together by:
1.int a[]={33,3,4,5};//declaration, instantiation
and initialization
Let's see the simple example to print this array.
1.//Java Program to illustrate the use of declara
tion, instantiation
2.//and initialization of Java array in a single lin
e
3.class Testarray1{
4.public static void main(String args[]){
5.int a[]={33,3,4,5};//declaration, instantiation
and initialization
6.//printing array
7.for(int i=0;i<a.length;i++)//length is the pro
perty of array
8.System.out.println(a[i]);
9.}}
Test it Now
Output:
33
3
4
5
For-each Loop for Java Array
We can also print the Java array using for-each
loop. The Java for-each loop prints the array
elements one by one. It holds an array element in
a variable, then executes the body of the loop.
The syntax of the for-each loop is given below:
1.for(data_type variable:array){
2.//body of the loop
3.}
Let us see the example of print the elements of
Java array using the for-each loop.
1.//Java Program to print the array elements usi
ng for-each loop
2.class Testarray1{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.int arr[]={33,3,4,5};
5.//printing array using for-each loop
6.for(int i:arr)
7.System.out.println(i);
8.}}
Output:
33
3
4
5
Passing Array to a Method in Java
We can pass the java array to method so that we
can reuse the same logic on any array.
Let's see the simple example to get the minimum
number of an array using a method.
1.//Java Program to demonstrate the way of pa
ssing an array
2.//to method.
3.class Testarray2{
4.//creating a method which receives an array
as a parameter
5.static void min(int arr[]){
6.int min=arr[0];
7.for(int i=1;i<arr.length;i++)
8. if(min>arr[i])
9. min=arr[i];
10.
11. System.out.println(min);
12. }
13.
14. public static void main(String args[]){
15. int a[]={33,3,4,5};//declaring and initiali
zing an array
16. min(a);//passing array to method
17. }}
Output:
3
Anonymous Array in Java
Java supports the feature of an anonymous array,
so you don't need to declare the array while
passing an array to the method.
1.//Java Program to demonstrate the way of pa
ssing an anonymous array
2.//to method.
3.public class TestAnonymousArray{
4.//creating a method which receives an array
as a parameter
5.static void printArray(int arr[]){
6.for(int i=0;i<arr.length;i++)
7.System.out.println(arr[i]);
8.}
9.
10. public static void main(String args[]){
11. printArray(new int[]{10,22,44,66});//
passing anonymous array to method
12. }}
Test it Now
Output:
10
22
44
66
Returning Array from the Method
We can also return an array from the method in
Java.
1.//Java Program to return an array from the m
ethod
2.class TestReturnArray{
3.//creating method which returns an array
4.static int[] get(){
5.return new int[]{10,30,50,90,60};
6.}
7.
8.public static void main(String args[]){
9.//calling method which returns an array
10. int arr[]=get();
11. //printing the values of an array
12. for(int i=0;i<arr.length;i++)
13. System.out.println(arr[i]);
14. }}
Test it Now
Output:
10
30
50
90
60
ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) throws an
ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException if length of the
array in negative, equal to the array size or
greater than the array size while traversing the
array.
1.//Java Program to demonstrate the case of
2.//ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException in a Java
Array.
3.public class TestArrayException{
4.public static void main(String args[]){
5.int arr[]={50,60,70,80};
6.for(int i=0;i<=arr.length;i++){
7.System.out.println(arr[i]);
8.}
9.}}
Output:
Exception in thread "main"
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException:
4
at
TestArrayException.main(TestArrayExceptio
n.java:5)
50
60
70
80
Multidimensional Array in Java
In such case, data is stored in row and column
based index (also known as matrix form).
Syntax to Declare Multidimensional Array in
Java
1.dataType[][] arrayRefVar; (or)
2.dataType [][]arrayRefVar; (or)
3.dataType arrayRefVar[][]; (or)
4.dataType []arrayRefVar[];
Example to instantiate Multidimensional
Array in Java
1.int[][] arr=new int[3][3];//3 row and 3 colum
n
Example to initialize Multidimensional Array
in Java
1.arr[0][0]=1;
2.arr[0][1]=2;
3.arr[0][2]=3;
4.arr[1][0]=4;
5.arr[1][1]=5;
6.arr[1][2]=6;
7.arr[2][0]=7;
8.arr[2][1]=8;
9.arr[2][2]=9;
Example of Multidimensional Java Array
Let's see the simple example to declare,
instantiate, initialize and print the 2Dimensional
array.
1.//Java Program to illustrate the use of multidi
mensional array
2.class Testarray3{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.//declaring and initializing 2D array
5.int arr[][]={{1,2,3},{2,4,5},{4,4,5}};
6.//printing 2D array
7.for(int i=0;i<3;i++){
8. for(int j=0;j<3;j++){
9. System.out.print(arr[i][j]+" ");
10. }
11. System.out.println();
12. }
13. }}
Output:
1 2 3
2 4 5
4 4 5
Jagged Array in Java
If we are creating odd number of columns in a 2D
array, it is known as a jagged array. In other
words, it is an array of arrays with different
number of columns.
1.//Java Program to illustrate the jagged array
2.class TestJaggedArray{
3. public static void main(String[] args){
4. //declaring a 2D array with odd columns
5. int arr[][] = new int[3][];
6. arr[0] = new int[3];
7. arr[1] = new int[4];
8. arr[2] = new int[2];
9. //initializing a jagged array
10. int count = 0;
11. for (int i=0; i<arr.length; i++)
12. for(int j=0; j<arr[i].length; j++)
13. arr[i][j] = count++;
14.
15. //printing the data of a jagged array
16. for (int i=0; i<arr.length; i++){
17. for (int j=0; j<arr[i].length; j++)
{
18. System.out.print(arr[i][j]+" ");
19. }
20. System.out.println();//new line
21. }
22. }
23. }
Output:
0 1 2
3 4 5 6
7 8
What is the class name of Java array?
In Java, an array is an object. For array object, a
proxy class is created whose name can be
obtained by getClass().getName() method on the
object.
1.//Java Program to get the class name of array
in Java
2.class Testarray4{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.//declaration and initialization of array
5.int arr[]={4,4,5};
6.//getting the class name of Java array
7.Class c=arr.getClass();
8.String name=c.getName();
9.//printing the class name of Java array
10. System.out.println(name);
11.
12. }}
Output:
I
Copying a Java Array
We can copy an array to another by the
arraycopy() method of System class.
Syntax of arraycopy method
1.public static void arraycopy(
2.Object src, int srcPos,Object dest, int destPo
s, int length
3.)
Example of Copying an Array in Java
1.//Java Program to copy a source array into a
destination array in Java
2.class TestArrayCopyDemo {
3. public static void main(String[] args) {
4. //declaring a source array
5. char[] copyFrom = { 'd', 'e', 'c', 'a', 'f', 'f
', 'e',
6. 'i', 'n', 'a', 't', 'e', 'd' };
7. //declaring a destination array
8. char[] copyTo = new char[7];
9. //copying array using System.arraycopy(
) method
10. System.arraycopy(copyFrom, 2, copyTo
, 0, 7);
11. //printing the destination array
12. System.out.println(String.valueOf(co
pyTo));
13. }
14. }
Output:
caffein
Cloning an Array in Java
Since, Java array implements the Cloneable
interface, we can create the clone of the Java
array. If we create the clone of a single-
dimensional array, it creates the deep copy of
the Java array. It means, it will copy the actual
value. But, if we create the clone of a
multidimensional array, it creates the shallow
copy of the Java array which means it copies the
references.
1.//Java Program to clone the array
2.class Testarray1{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.int arr[]={33,3,4,5};
5.System.out.println("Printing original array:");
6.for(int i:arr)
7.System.out.println(i);
8.
9.System.out.println("Printing clone of the arra
y:");
10. int carr[]=arr.clone();
11. for(int i:carr)
12. System.out.println(i);
13.
14. System.out.println("Are both equal?");
15. System.out.println(arr==carr);
16.
17. }}
Output:
Printing original array:
33
3
4
5
Printing clone of the array:
33
3
4
5
Are both equal?
false
Addition of 2 Matrices in Java
Let's see a simple example that adds two
matrices.
1.//Java Program to demonstrate the addition of
two matrices in Java
2.class Testarray5{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.//creating two matrices
5.int a[][]={{1,3,4},{3,4,5}};
6.int b[][]={{1,3,4},{3,4,5}};
7.
8.//creating another matrix to store the sum of
two matrices
9.int c[][]=new int[2][3];
10.
11. //adding and printing addition of 2 matric
es
12. for(int i=0;i<2;i++){
13. for(int j=0;j<3;j++){
14. c[i][j]=a[i][j]+b[i][j];
15. System.out.print(c[i][j]+" ");
16. }
17. System.out.println();//new line
18. }
19.
20. }}
Output:
2 6 8
6 8 10
Multiplication of 2 Matrices in Java
In the case of matrix multiplication, a one-row
element of the first matrix is multiplied by all the
columns of the second matrix which can be
understood by the image given below.
Let's see a simple example to multiply two
matrices of 3 rows and 3 columns.
1.//Java Program to multiply two matrices
2.public class MatrixMultiplicationExample{
3.public static void main(String args[]){
4.//creating two matrices
5.int a[][]={{1,1,1},{2,2,2},{3,3,3}};
6.int b[][]={{1,1,1},{2,2,2},{3,3,3}};
7.
8.//creating another matrix to store the multipli
cation of two matrices
9.int c[][]=new int[3][3]; //3 rows and 3 colu
mns
10.
11. //multiplying and printing multiplication o
f 2 matrices
12. for(int i=0;i<3;i++){
13. for(int j=0;j<3;j++){
14. c[i][j]=0;
15. for(int k=0;k<3;k++)
16. {
17. c[i][j]+=a[i][k]*b[k][j];
18. }//end of k loop
19. System.out.print(c[i][j]+" "); //printing m
atrix element
20. }//end of j loop
21. System.out.println();//new line
22. }
23. }}
Output:
6 6 6
12 12 12
18 18 18
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