Array in Java

java provides a data structure, the array, which stores a fixed-size sequential collection of
elements of the same type. An array is used to store a collection of data, but it is often more
useful to think of an array as a collection of variables of the same type.

Instead of declaring individual variables, such as number0, number1, ..., and number99, you
declare one array variable such as numbers and use numbers[0], numbers[1], and ...,
numbers[99] to represent individual variables.

Definition of Array

 An array is a group of similar (like-typed) variables that are referred to by a common name. A
specific element in an array is accessed by its index (subscript).

 Array is an example of non-primitive derived data type.

IMP. NOTES

 In Java array is considered as reference type variable.

 To declare an array we need primitive data type keywords (int, char, double …. )

 Arrays of any type can be created & may have one or more dimensions.

 In computer’s memory array elements are stored adjacently.

 It is an example of linear list

Sda(Single Dimensional Array)

 This is simplest form of an array & It is also known as one dimensional array.

 In SDA elements are specified by a single subscript / index number.

 In SDA index numbering starts with 0(Zero).

 length keyword is used to find size/length of a single dimensional array(SDA).

Example :

int arr[ ] = new int[10];

Size of the array

Data type of array Name of the array keyword
(No off cells)

or we can define as int [] arr=new int[10];

new is a key word used to occupy memory space for array and to set reference

int arr[ ] = new int[5] ;

 By above statement an array called arr of integer type is created to store 5

integer values

 It demands 20 bytes in memory (4 bytes x 5 ) .

 Length of above array is 5.

Arr[0] Arr[1] Arr[2] Arr[3] Arr[4]

Index no -0 Index no -1 Index no -2 Index no -3 Index no -4

Cellno 0 Cellno 1 Cellno 2 Cellno 3 Cellno 4

MORE EXAMPLES
char p[ ] =new char [10 ] ;
By this a character array called p is created / declared with 10 cells
String s[ ] = new String [15];
By this a String array called s is created / declared to store 15 strings
Find the output
class array
{
Public void main()
{
int id ,x =10;

for ( id=0 ; id<=4;id++)

{
n[ id ] =x ;
x++;
}
 for ( id=0 ; id<=4;id++)
{
System.out.println(n[id]);
}
}}

Initialization of array

//Java Program to illustrate how to declare, instantiate, initialize

//and traverse the Java array.
class Testarray{
public static void main(){
int a[]=new int[5];//declaration and instantiation
a[0]=10;//initialization
a[1]=20;
a[2]=70;
a[3]=40;
a[4]=50;
//traversing array
for(int i=0;i<4;i++)//or a.length length is the property of array
System.out.println(a[i]);
}}

Another way(important)

Declaration, Instantiation and Initialization of Java Array

We can declare, instantiate and initialize the java array together by:

 int n[ ] = {24,46,10,15,100 }; // array is initialized with 5 integer values

 int a[]={33,3,4,5};//declaration, instantiation and initialization
 /Java Program to illustrate the use of declaration, instantiation
 //and initialization of Java array in a single line
class Testarray1{
public static void main(){
int a[]={33,3,4,5};//declaration, instantiation and initialization
//printing array
for(int i=0;i<a.length;i++)//length is the property of array
System.out.println(a[i]);
}}
a.length will find the length of array here length =4
 n.length  length os 5

Advantages of arrays:

 We can access any element randomly by using indexes provided by arrays.

 Primitive type to wrapper classes object conversion will not happen so it is fast.
 Array can store many number of elements at a time.
 Easy to manipulate and store large data
Disadvantages of array in java

 We need to mention the size of the array. Fixed length.

 So there is a chance of memory wastage.
 To delete an element in an array we need to traverse throughout the array so this will
reduce performance