Introduction

Arrays are fundamental data structures in C programming that allow the storage of multiple values of the same type in a contiguous block of memory. Understanding how to use one-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays is essential for efficient data handling and manipulation.

One-Dimensional Arrays

A one-dimensional array is essentially a list of elements, all of the same type, stored sequentially in memory.

Declaration and Initialization:

int arr[5]; // Declaration of an array with 5 integer elements.

// Initialization during declaration

int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

// Partial initialization

int arr[5] = {1, 2}; // Remaining elements are initialized to 0.

Accessing Elements: Each element in an array can be accessed using its index, starting from 0:

printf("First element: %d\n", arr[0]); // Outputs: 1

arr[2] = 10; // Modifies the third element.

Multi-Dimensional Arrays

A multi-dimensional array is an array of arrays, allowing for a matrix-like structure. The most common type is a two-dimensional array.

Declaration and Initialization:

int matrix[3][3]; // Declaration of a 3x3 integer matrix.

// Initialization during declaration

int matrix[3][3] = {

    {1, 2, 3},

    {4, 5, 6},

    {7, 8, 9}

};

Accessing Elements: Each element in a two-dimensional array is accessed using row and column indices:

printf("Element at (2, 3): %d\n", matrix[1][2]); // Outputs: 6 (2nd row, 3rd column)

Common Operations on Arrays

• Traversing: Iterating through all elements in an array.

for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {

    printf("%d ", arr[i]);

}

// For a two-dimensional array

for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {

    for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {

        printf("%d ", matrix[i][j]);

    }

}

• Modifying Elements: You can change the value of an element by directly accessing it with its index.

arr[0] = 15;

matrix[2][1] = 20; // Changes value at 3rd row, 2nd column to 20.

Conclusion

Arrays are powerful tools for managing collections of data in C programming. Mastering both one-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays provides a strong foundation for tackling more complex data structures and algorithms.