Arrays in C

Palash Dey
Department of Computer Science & Engg.
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur

Slides credit: Prof. Indranil Sen Gupta

 Basic Concept

• Many applications require multiple data items

that have common characteristics.
– In mathematics, we often express such groups of data
items in indexed form:
x1, x2, x3, …, xn
• Why are arrays essential for some applications?
– Take an example.
– Finding the minimum of a set of numbers.

Programming and Data Structure 2

 3 numbers
if ((a <= b) && (a <= c))
min = a;
else
if (b <= c)
min = b;
else
min = c;
4 numbers
if ((a <= b) && (a <= c) && (a <= d))
min = a;
else
if ((b <= c) && (b <= d))
min = b;
else
if (c <= d)
min = c;
else
min = d;

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 The Problem

• Suppose we have 10 numbers to handle.

• Or 20.
• Or 100.

• How to tackle this problem?

• Solution:
– Use arrays.

Autumn Semester 2019 Programming and Data Structure 4

 Using Arrays
• All the data items constituting the group share the
same name.
int x[10];

• Individual elements are accessed by specifying the

index.

x[0] x[1] x[2] x[9]

x is a 10-element one-
dimensional array

Programming and Data Structure 5

• The name of the array also denotes the starting
address of the array in memory.
– Example:
int x[10];

x[0], x[1], x[2], … indicates the contents of the

successive array locations.
x indicates the starting address in memory for the array.

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 An Example
#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
int x[10];
x[0] = 15;
x[1] = x[0] + 5;
printf (”\n%d %d %d %u \n”, x[0], x[1], x[2], x);
}

Output:
15 20 1107384350 3221224640

Garbage Address
Programming and Data Structure 7
 Declaring Arrays

• Like variables, the arrays that are used in a program

must be declared before they are used.
• General syntax:
type array-name[size];
– type specifies the data type of element that will be contained in
the array (int, float, char, etc.).
– size is an integer constant which indicates the maximum
number of elements that can be stored inside the array.
• Example: int marks[5];
– marks is an array containing a maximum of 5 integers.

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• Examples:
int x[10];
char line[80];
float points[150];
char name[35];
• If we are not sure of the exact size of the array, we can
define an array of a large size.
int marks[50];
though in a particular run we may only be using, say, 10
elements.

Programming and Data Structure 9

 How an array is stored in memory?

• Starting from a given memory location, the successive array

elements are allocated space in consecutive memory
locations. int a[10];

Array a
x x+k x+2k

x: starting address of the array in memory

k: number of bytes allocated per array element
– Element a[i] :: allocated memory location at address x + i*k
– First array index assumed to start at zero.

Programming and Data Structure 10

 Accessing Array Elements

• A particular element of the array can be accessed by

specifying two things:
– Name of the array.
– Index (relative position) of the element in the array.

• In C, the index of an array starts from zero.

• Example:
– An array is defined as int x[10];
– The first element of the array x can be accessed as x[0], fourth
element as x[3], tenth element as x[9], etc.

Programming and Data Structure 11

 Contd.

• The array index must evaluate to an integer between 0

and n-1 where n is the number of elements in the array.
• Any integer expression can be given as the index.
a[x+2] = 25;
b[3*x-y] = a[10-x] + 5;

Programming and Data Structure 12

 A Warning

• In C, while accessing array elements, array bounds are not

checked.
• Example:
int marks[5];
:
:
marks[8] = 75;
– The above assignment would not necessarily cause an
error.
– Rather, it may result in unpredictable program results.

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 Initialization of Arrays
• General form:
type array_name[size] = {list of values};
• Examples:
int marks[5] = {72, 83, 65, 80, 76};
char name[4] = {’A’, ’m’, ’i’, ’t’};
• Some special cases:
– If the number of values in the list is less than the
number of elements, the remaining elements are
automatically set to zero.
float total[5] = {24.2, -12.5, 35.1};
total[0]=24.2, total[1]=-12.5, total[2]=35.1,
total[3]=0, total[4]=0

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 Contd.

– The size may be omitted. In such cases the compiler

automatically allocates enough space for all initialized
elements.

int flag[] = {1, 1, 1, 0};

char name[] = {’A’, ’m’, ’i’, ’t’};

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Example 1: Find the minimum of a set of 10 numbers
#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
int a[10], i, min;

for (i=0; i<10; i++)

scanf (%d, &a[i]);

min = 99999; /* or, min=a[0] */

for (i=0; i<10; i++)
{
if (a[i] < min)
min = a[i];
}
printf (\n Minimum is %d, min);
}

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Example 1: Find the minimum of a set of 10 numbers
#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
int a[10], i, min;

for (i=0; i<10; i++)

scanf (%d, &a[i]);

min = a[0];
for (i=0; i<10; i++)
{
if (a[i] < min)
min = a[i];
}
printf (\n Minimum is %d, min);
}

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Alternate #include <stdio.h>
Version 1 #define size 10

main()
{
int a[size], i, min;

Change only one for (i=0; i<size; i++)

line to change the scanf (%d, &a[i]);
problem size
min = a[0];
for (i=0; i<size; i++)
{
if (a[i] < min)
min = a[i];
}
printf (\n Minimum is %d, min);
}

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Alternate #include <stdio.h>
Version 2 main()
{
int a[100], i, min, n;

scanf (%d, &n);

/* Number of elements */
for (i=0; i<n; i++)
Define an array of
scanf (%d, &a[i]);
large size and use
only the required min = a[0];
number of elements for (i=0; i<n; i++)
{
if (a[i] < min)
min = a[i];
}
printf (\n Minimum is %d, min);
}

Programming and Data Structure 19

 #include <stdio.h>
Example 2: #define nsub 6
Computing gpa
main()
{
int grade_pt[nsub], cred[nsub], i,
gp_sum=0, cred_sum=0;
float gpa;

for (i=0; i<nsub; i++)

scanf (%d %d, &grade_pt[i],&cred[i]);
Handling two arrays
at the same time for (i=0; i<nsub; i++)
{
gp_sum += grade_pt[i] * cred[i];
cred_sum += cred[i];
}
gpa = (float) gp_sum / cred_sum;
printf (\n GPA is: %f, gpa);
}
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 Things you can’t do
int a[20], b[20];

• You cannot
– use “=” to assign one array variable to another:
a = b; /* a and b are arrays */
– use “==” to directly compare array variables:
if (a == b) ………
– directly scanf or printf arrays:
printf (”……”, a);

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How to copy the elements of one array to another?

• By copying individual elements:

int a[25], b[25];

……
for (j=0; j<25; j++)
a[j] = b[j];

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 How to read the elements of an array?

• By reading them one element at a time.

int a[25];
……
for (j=0; j<25; j++)
scanf (%d, &a[j]);

• The ampersand (&) is necessary.

• The elements can be entered all in one line or in different
lines.

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 How to print the elements of an array?

• By printing them one element at a time.

for (j=0; j<25; j++)

printf (\n %d, a[j]);

– The elements are printed one per line.

printf (\n);
for (j=0; j<25; j++)
printf ( %d, a[j]);

– The elements are printed all in one line (starting with

a new line).

Programming and Data Structure 24

Passing Arrays to a Function
 How to pass arrays to a function?

• An array name can be used as an argument to a

function.
– Permits the entire array to be passed to the function.
– The way it is passed differs from that for ordinary
variables.
• Rules:
– The array name must appear by itself as argument,
without brackets or subscripts.
– The corresponding formal argument is written in the same
manner.
• Declared by writing the array name with a pair of empty brackets.

Programming and Data Structure 26

 An Example with 1-D Array

main()
{
We can also write int n;
float list[100], avg;
float x[100]; :
But the way the function avg = average(n,list);
is written makes it :
general; it works with }
arrays of any size.
float average(int a, float x[])
{
:
sum = sum + x[i];
}

Programming and Data Structure 27

main()
{
int n, i;
float list[100], avg;
scanf (“%d”, &n);
for (i=0; i<n; ++)
scanf (%d, &list[i]);
avg = average (n, list);
printf (\nAverage is: %d, avg);
}

float average(int a, float x[])

{
float sum = 0; int index;
for (index=0; index<a; index++)
sum = sum + x[i];
return sum;
}

Programming and Data Structure 28

 The Actual Mechanism

• When an array is passed to a function, the values of the

array elements are not passed to the function.
– The array name is interpreted as the address of the
first array element.
– The formal argument therefore becomes a pointer to
the first array element.
– When an array element is accessed inside the
function, the address is calculated using the formula
stated before.
– Changes made inside the function are thus also
reflected in the calling program.

Programming and Data Structure 29

 Contd.

• Passing parameters in this way is called

call-by-reference.
• Normally parameters are passed in C using
call-by-value.
• Basically what it means?
– If a function changes the values of array elements, then
these changes will be made to the original array that is
passed to the function.

Programming and Data Structure 30

 Example: Parameter passed as a value
#include <stdio.h> main()
{
void swap (int a, int b) int x,y;
{
int temp; x=10; y=15;
temp=a; printf(x=%d y=%d \n, x, y);
a=b; swap(x,y);
b=temp; printf(x=%d y=%d \n, x, y);
} }

Output:
x=10 y=15
x=10 y=15

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 Example: Minimum of a set of numbers

#include <stdio.h> int minimum (int x, int

int minimum (int x[], int y); size)
{
main()
{ int i, min = x[0];
int a[100], i, n;
for (i=0;i<size;i++)
scanf (%d, &n); if (min > x[i])
for (i=0; i<n; i++) min = x[i];
scanf (%d, &a[i]); return (min);
}
printf (\n Minimum is
%d,minimum(a,n));
}

Parameter x passed by reference, size by value.

Programming and Data Structure 32

 Example: Square each element of array
#include <stdio.h>
void square (int a[], int b); void square (int x, int
size)
main() {
{ int i;
int a[100], i, n;
for (i=0;i<size;i++)
scanf (%d, &n);
for (i=0; i<n; i++) x[i] = x[i] * x[i];
scanf (”%d”, &a[i]);
return;
square (a, n); }

printf (\nNew array is:);

for (i=0; i<n; i++)
printf ( %d, a[i]);

Programming and Data Structure 33

 Introduction to Pointers

• What is the concept?

– Pointer is a variable which stores the address of memory
location of another variable.
– When declared, we must specify the data type of the
variable being pointed to.
– Examples:
int *p;
float *x, *y;
char *flag;

Programming and Data Structure 34

• A pointer variable can be assigned the address of
another variable.
int a, *p;
a=10;
p = &a; /* Address of ‘a’ assigned to ‘p’ */
printf (”%d %d”, a, *p);
/* Will print “10 10” */
• Point to note:
– Array name indicates pointer to first array element.
int num[10], *xyz;
xyz = num; /* Points to x[0] */

Programming and Data Structure 35

– When an integer expression E is added to or subtracted
from a pointer, actually scale factor times E is added or
subtracted.
• Scale factor indicates size of the data item being pointed to in
number of bytes.
• Scale factor for char is 1, int is 4, float is 4, double is 8, etc.

int a, *p;
p = &a; /* p is assigned address of ‘a’
(say, 2500) */
p++; /* p will become 2504 */
p = p – 10; /* p will become 2464 */

Programming and Data Structure 36

• Consider the declaration:
int x[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
int *p;
– Suppose that the base address of x is 2500, and each
integer requires 4 bytes.
Element Value Address
x[0] 1 2500
x[1] 2 2504
x[2] 3 2508
x[3] 4 2512
x[4] 5 2516

Programming and Data Structure 37

 Contd.

Both x and &x[0] have the value 2500.

p = x; and p = &x[0]; are equivalent.

• Relationship between p and x:

p = &x[0] = 2500
p+1 = &x[1] = 2504
*(p+i) gives the
p+2 = &x[2] = 2508 value of x[i]
p+3 = &x[3] = 2512
p+4 = &x[4] = 2516

Programming and Data Structure 38

• An example:

int x[ ] = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10};
int *p;
p = x + 3; /* Point to 4th element of x */

printf (%d, *p); /* Will print 4 */

printf (%d, *(p+5));

/* Will print 9 */

printf (%d %d, p[3], p[-1]);

/* Will print 7 and 3 */

Programming and Data Structure 39

 Example: function to find average

#include <stdio.h> float avg (int array[], int

main() size)
{ {
int x[100], k, n; int *p, i , sum = 0;

scanf (”%d”, &n); p = array;

for (k=0; k<n; k++) for (i=0; i<size; i++)

scanf (”%d”, &x[k]); sum = sum + *(p+i);

printf (”\nAverage is %f”, return ((float) sum / size);

avg (x, n)); }
}

Programming and Data Structure 40

 Example: SWAP revisited
#include <stdio.h> main()
{
void swap (int *a, int *b) int x, y;
{
int temp; x=10; y=15;
printf (x=%d y=%d \n, x,y);
temp = *a;
swap (&x, &y);
*a = *b;
printf (x=%d y=%d \n, x,y);
*b = temp;
}
}

Output:
x=10 y=15
x=15 y=10

Programming and Data Structure 41