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What Is An Array: Elements

An array is a block of consecutive memory locations to store a fixed number of elements of the same type. Individual elements are accessed via an index and the array name. Arrays are objects in Java that hold a fixed number of elements of the same type. The length of the array is determined at creation and cannot be changed. Elements are initialized to default values unless explicitly assigned.

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32 views10 pages

What Is An Array: Elements

An array is a block of consecutive memory locations to store a fixed number of elements of the same type. Individual elements are accessed via an index and the array name. Arrays are objects in Java that hold a fixed number of elements of the same type. The length of the array is determined at creation and cannot be changed. Elements are initialized to default values unless explicitly assigned.

Uploaded by

manojabhole
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is an Array

• An array is a block of consecutive memory


locations of the same data type.
• Individual locations are called array’s elements.
• Sometimes when we say “array’s element” we
mean the value stored in that element.
1.39 1.69 1.74 0.0 An array
of doubles
What is an Array
• Rather than treating each element as a separate
named variable, the whole array gets one name.
• Specific array elements are referred to by using
array’s name and the element’s number, called
index or subscript.

1.39 1.69 1.74 0.0


c[0] c[1] c[2] c[3] c is array’s
name
Index or Subscripts
• We can use an int variable or any expression that
evaluates to an int value as an index
a [3]
a [k]
a [k - 2]
a [ (int) (6 * Math.random()) ]

• In Java, an array is declared with fixed length that


cannot be changed.
• Java interpreter checks the values of index at run
time and throws IndexOutOfBoundsException if an
index is negative or if it is greater than the length
of the array - 1.
Arrays as Objects
• In Java, an array is an object. If the type of its
elements is anyType, the type of the array object
is anyType[ ].
• There are two ways to declare an array:
anyType [ ] arrName; The difference becomes significant
only when several variables are
declared in one statement:
or
int [ ] a, b; // both a, b are
anyType arrName [ ]; arrays
int a [ ], b; // a is an array, b is
not
Arrays as Objects
• As with other objects, the declaration
creates only a reference, initially set to
null. An array must be created before it
can be used.
• There are two ways to create an array:
arrName = new anyType [ length] ;
Brackets, not
or parens!
arrName = new anyType [ ] { val1, val2, …, valN };
Declaration and Initialization
• When an array is created, space is allocated to
hold its elements. If a list of values is not
given, the elements get the default values.
scores = new int [10] ;
// length 10, all values set to 0

words = new String [10000];


// length 10000, all values set to
null
Array’s Length
• The length of an array is determined when that
array is created.
• The length is either given explicitly or comes
from the length of the {…} initialization list.
• The length of an array arrName is referred to in
the code as arrName.length
• length appears like a public field (not a method)
in an array object.
Initializing Elements
• Unless specific values are given in a {…} list, all
the elements are initialized to the default value: 0
for numbers, false for booleans, null for objects.
• If its elements are objects, the array holds
references to objects, which are initially set to null.
• Each object-type element must be initialized
before it is used.
Passing Arrays to Methods
• As other objects, an array is passed to a method
as a reference.
• The elements of the original array are not copied
and are accessible in the method’s code.
2-D Arrays in Java
• In Java, a 2-D array is basically a 1-D array of 1-
D arrays, its rows. Each row is stored in a
separate block of consecutive memory locations.
• If m is a 2-D array, then m[k] is a 1-D array, the
k-th row.
• m.length is the number of rows.
• m[k].length is the length of the k-th row.

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