An array is a collection of related data items stored in contiguous memory locations, and its elements can be accessed at random using array indexes. They can hold a collection of primitive data types, such as int, float, double, and char.
Before we can use an array in C, we must define it just like any other variable. An array can be declared by defining its name, element type, and dimensions. When we declare an array in C, the compiler assigns the memory block of the specified size as the array name.
An array's elements can be initialized one at a time or with a single command. The number of values between braces {} is limited to the number of elements declared in the array between square brackets [].
C has two types of arrays:
In C, a single-dimensional array is a collection of elements of the same data type that are stored in contiguous memory locations and can be accessed using only one index. It is stated by providing the data types and sizes of its members.
A multidimensional array in C is an array of arrays that stores elements in a tabular manner with rows and columns. It is declared by defining the data type of its members as well as the dimension sizes. 2D arrays, 3D arrays, and 4D arrays are all examples of multidimensional arrays.
In C, array traversal involves iterating through each element of an array and sequentially accessing and processing its data via loops or recursion.
In C, array insertion refers to adding elements to an existing array, either at a specific index or at the end, which necessitates relocating elements to make place for the new ones.
Array deletion in C is the process of eliminating elements from an array, either by shifting existing components to fill the space or by marking the removed element as invalid, depending on the requirements.
In C, an array is always provided as a collection of pointers to functions. When we attempt to send an array to a function, it decays to a pointer, which is then passed as a pointer to the first element of the array.
You can construct a pointer to an array's first element by simply providing the array name without an index.
In C, functions can only return one value. Pointers are required for returning multiple values or elements. A function can return an array by passing a pointer to the first element of the array.