Arrays
Reference: Java Programming Fifth Edition by Joyce Farrell
Objectives
Declare and initialize an array
Use subscripts with an array
Manipulate arrays
Use two-dimensional and multidimensional arrays
Declaring and Initializing an Array
Array
Named list of data items
All have same type
Declare array variable
Same way as declaring any simple variable
Insert pair of square brackets after type
Declaring and Initializing an Array
(continued)
double[] salesFigure;
int[] idNum;
Still need to reserve memory space
salesFigure = new double[20];
double[] salesFigure = new double[20];
Subscript
Integer contained within square brackets
Indicates one of arrays variables or elements
Declaring and Initializing an Array
(continued)
Arrays elements numbered beginning with zero
Can legally use any subscript from 0 through 19
When working with array that has 20 elements
Work with any individual array element
Treat no differently than single variable of same type
Example: salesFigure[0] = 2100.00;
Declaring and Initializing an Array
(continued)
Initializing an Array
Variable with reference type
Such as array
Holds memory address where value stored
Array names
Represent computer memory addresses
Contain references
Declare array name
No computer memory address assigned
Has special value null
Unicode value \u0000
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Initializing an Array (continued)
Use keyword new to define array
Array name acquires actual memory address value
int[] someNums = new int[10];
Each element of someNums has value of 0
char array elements
Assigned \u0000
boolean array elements
Automatically assigned value false
Initializing an Array (continued)
Assign nondefault values to array elements upon
creation
int[] tenMult = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60};
Using Subscripts with an Array
Power of arrays
Use subscripts that are variables
Rather than constant subscripts
Use a loop to perform array operations
for (sub = 0; sub < 5; ++sub)
scoreArray[sub] += 3;
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Using Subscripts with an Array
(continued)
Application contains array
Use every element of array in some task
Perform loops that vary loop control variable
Start at 0
End at one less than size of array
Convenient to declare symbolic constant equal to
size of array
final int NUMBER_OF_SCORES = 5;
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Using Subscripts with an Array
(continued)
length field
Contains number of elements in array
for(sub = 0; sub < [Link];
sub++)
scoreArray[sub] += 3;
12
Using Subscripts with an Array
(continued)
Enhanced for loop
Cycle through array
Without specifying starting and ending points for
loop control variable
for(int val : scoreArray)
[Link](val);
13
Searching an Array For
an Exact Match
Determine whether variable holds one of many
valid values
Use series of if statements
Compare variable to series of valid values
14
Searching an Array For
an Exact Match (continued)
Searching array
Compare variable to list of values in array
for(int x = 0; x < [Link];
x++)
{
if(itemOrdered == validValues[x])
validItem = true;
15
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Manipulating Arrays of Strings
Create array of Strings
String[] deptName = {"Accounting",
"Human Resources", "Sales"};
for(int a = 0; a < [Link];
a++)
[Link](deptName[a]);
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Manipulating Arrays of Strings
(continued)
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Using Two-Dimensional and
Multidimensional Arrays
One-dimensional or single-dimensional array
Picture as column of values
Elements accessed using single subscript
Two-dimensional arrays
Two or more columns of values
Rows and columns
Use two subscripts
Matrix or table
int[][] someNumbers = new int[3][4];
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Using Two-Dimensional and
Multidimensional Arrays (continued)
20
Using Two-Dimensional and
Multidimensional Arrays (continued)
int[][] rents = { {400, 450, 510},
{500, 560, 630},
{625, 676, 740},
{1000, 1250, 1600} };
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Using the length Field with a TwoDimensional Array
length field holds the number of rows in the array
[Link]
Each row has a length field that holds the
number of columns in the row
rents[1].length
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Understanding Ragged Arrays
Two-dimensional array with rows of different length
Define the number of rows for a two-dimensional
array
But not defining the number of columns in the rows
Then declare the individual rows
23
Using Multidimensional Arrays
Multidimensional arrays
More than two dimensions
Create arrays of any size
Keep track of order of variables needed as
subscripts
Dont exhaust computers memory
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You Do It
Creating and populating an array
Initializing an array
Using a for loop to access array elements
25
Dont Do It
Dont forget that the lowest array subscript is 0
Dont forget that the highest array subscript is one
less than the length
Dont forget that length is an array property and not
a method
Dont forget that array names are references
Dont forget that the first subscript used with a twodimensional array represents the row, and that the
second subscript represents the column
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Summary
Array
Named list of data items
All have same type
Array names
Represent computer memory addresses
Shorten many array-based tasks
Use variable as subscript
length field
Contains number of elements in array
Two-dimensional arrays
Both rows and columns
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