C 2-D Array

Syntax

datatype array_name[row_size][column_size];

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  int my_array[2][3] = {
    {1, 2, 3},
    {4, 5, 6}
  };

  for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
    for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
      printf("%d ", my_array[i][j]);
    }
    printf("\n");
  }

  return 0;
}

Output

1 2 3 
4 5 6 

Explanation

A two-dimensional (2-D) array is an array of arrays, where each array is itself an array of elements of a certain datatype. For example, a 2-D array could be declared as int array[2][3], meaning it has 2 rows and 3 columns, with each element being of type int.

Use

2-D arrays are commonly used in matrix manipulation, image processing, and game development. They can be used to store and manipulate large amounts of data in a tabular format.

Important Points

• A 2-D array can be initialized using nested braces containing the initial values for each element in row-major order.
• The number of rows and columns in a 2-D array must be specified at the time of declaration and cannot be changed dynamically during runtime.
• Elements of a 2-D array can be accessed using two indices, the first for the row and the second for the column.

Summary

A 2-D array is an array of arrays, commonly used to store and manipulate tabular data in programming. Declaration of a 2-D array requires specification of both the row size and column size, which cannot be changed dynamically during runtime. Understanding the syntax, initialization, and indexing of 2-D arrays is an important skill for developers working on larger-scale data manipulation and processing projects.