Arrays and Strings

By Kushal Ghimire [072 BCT] Anish Joshi [074 BCT]

Organized by : Nepal Students Union

 Things to know before starting Array

1. Garbage Values in local variables.

2. Top Down Approach of C Programming.

3. Macros operations behind the scene.

4. One Dimensional and Multi Dimensional.

[00] [01]

[0] [1] [10] [11]

1D 2D
Arrays & it’s Properties

An array is used when multiple data items(elements) have common characteristics.

An array is static type i.e. fixed size must be declared initially(macro definition and array
initialization are exceptions).

An array uses contagious memory to store data.

Arrays share same name. The individual elements are characterized by array name followed
by one(One Dimensional) or more(Multi Dimensional) subscripts or indices enclosed in a
square brackets.

Random access to every element using numeric index, index starts from 0 and ends at size-1.

Till the array elements are not given any specific values, they are supposed to contain
garbage values. The values can be assigned to elements at the time of array declaration,
which is called array initialization.
 Logical representation of an array

10000
#include<stdio.h>

int main() 2005

MEMORY ADDRESSESS
{
2004 E
char letters[5] = {‘A’,’B’,’C’,’D’,’E’};
return 0;
2003 D
}
2002 C

A B C D E 2001 B
letters[0] letters[1] letters[2] letters[3] letters[4] 2000 A

0
 Logical representation of an array

10000

#include<stdio.h>

MEMORY ADDRESSESS
2009
int main() 2008
{ 2007
int numbers[2] = {100,101}; 2006
return 0; 2005
} 2004
2003
2000 2002 Address 2002 101
2001
100 101 100
Value 2000

numbers[0] numbers[1] Name

0
 Logical representation of an array

10000

#include<stdio.h>

MEMORY ADDRESSESS
2009
int main() 2008
{ 2007
float numbers[2] = {10.1,10.2}; 2006 10.20000
return 0; 2005
2004 0
}
2003
2000 2004 Address 2002 10.100000
2001
10.100000 10.200000 Value 2000

numbers[0] numbers[1] Name

0
1D Array Declaration
Syntax: data_type array_name[size];

data_type can be int, float, char, etc.

array_name can be any valid identifier.

size must be specified except in array initialization and macro definition.

Examples:

int a[ ]; => invalid i.e. size must be specified.

int nums[5]; => occupies 2 * 5 = 10 bytes [int allocates 2 bytes]

char name[5]; => occupies 1 * 5 = 5 bytes [char allocates 1 byte]

float salary[10]; => occupies 4 * 10 = 40 bytes [float allocates 4 bytes]

Initialization of 1D Array
The values can be assigned to elements at the time of array declaration, which is called array initialization.
A
rray elements contains garbage values initially.

Syntax: data_type array_name[size] = {value1, value2,....,value n};

An array can be initialized in any of the following four ways:

1. int a[5] = {12, 13, 14, 15, 16};
2. int a[5] = {12, 13, 14};
3. int a[ ] = {12, 13, 14, 15, 16};
4. int a[size] = {12, 13, 14};
if “size” is defined in VARIABLES.
=> a[0]=12, a[1]=13, a[2]=14, a[3]=15, a[4]=16
=> a[0]=12, a[1]=13, a[2]=14, a[3]=0, a[4]=0
=> size is automatically set by the compiler.
=> [Be careful] VALID if “size” is defined in MACRO but INVALID
Accessing 1D Array Elements
1. All the elements of an array cannot be set at once.
int a[5];
a = 0; // not allowed a[1] = 12; // allowed

2. All the elements of an array cannot be assigned to another array at once.

int a[5], b[5];
a = b; // not allowed a[2] = b[3]; // allowed

3. All the elements of an array cannot be compared to another array at once.

int a[5], b[5];
if (a < b) // not allowed if (a[4] > b[2]) // allowed
{ {
//some code //some code
}
}
4. A loop can be used to input and output or assign or compare the elements of an array.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{ int main()
int a[5]; {
int a[5] = { 11, 22, 33, 44, 55 };
for(int i=0; i<5; i++)
{ for(int i=0; i<5; i++)
printf("\n Enter a[%d]: ",i); {
scanf("%d", &a[i]); printf("\n Element a[%d] is %d ",i, a[i]);
} }

return 0; return 0;
} }

//output //output
Enter a[0]: 11 Element a[0] is 11
Enter a[1]: 22 Element a[1] is 22
Enter a[2]: 33 Element a[2] is 33
Enter a[3]: 44 Element a[3] is 44
Enter a[4]: 55 Element a[4] is 55
To be continued..