C Arrays Intro

📚 C Arrays – Storing Multiple Values

In C, an array is a collection of variables that are of the same type. Arrays allow you to store multiple values in a single variable, making it easier to handle large amounts of data. The elements in an array are stored in contiguous memory locations and can be accessed using an index.

🔹 What is an Array?

An array is a data structure that holds a fixed number of elements of the same data type. The elements are accessed using indices, with the first element starting at index 0.

📝 Example 1: Declaring an Array

Here’s how you declare an array in C:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5]; // Declaring an array of 5 integers
    numbers[0] = 10; // Assigning value to the first element
    numbers[1] = 20; // Assigning value to the second element
    printf("First element: %d\n", numbers[0]);
    printf("Second element: %d\n", numbers[1]);
    return 0;
}
  

🔹 Initializing an Array

You can initialize an array at the time of declaration, assigning values to its elements directly.

📝 Example 2: Initializing an Array

Here’s how you can initialize an array during declaration:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50}; // Initializing the array with values
    printf("First element: %d\n", numbers[0]);
    printf("Second element: %d\n", numbers[1]);
    return 0;
}
  

🔹 Accessing Array Elements

You can access individual elements of an array by using the index. The index starts at 0 for the first element, 1 for the second, and so on.

📝 Example 3: Accessing Array Elements

In this example, we access each element of the array and print it.

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int numbers[5] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
    
    // Accessing and printing each element
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("Element %d: %d\n", i + 1, numbers[i]);
    }
    
    return 0;
}
  

🎯 Key Points about Arrays

• Arrays are fixed-size data structures that hold elements of the same type.
• Elements are stored in contiguous memory locations, and they are accessed using indices.
• The index starts at 0 for the first element and goes up to size-1 for the last element.

💡 Practice Challenge

Try modifying the array's size and its elements. Add loops to iterate through the array and experiment with different ways to initialize and access array elements!