{"post":"

Multidimensional Arrays

C language allows multidimensional arrays.

Syntax of a multidimensional array declaration is:

data_type array_name[size1][size2]...[sizeN];

For example, the following declaration creates a three dimensional array of integers:

int multidimension[5][10][4];

The simplest form of multidimensional array is the two-dimensional(2d) array.

A two-dimensional array is a list of one-dimensional arrays.

Two Dimensional Arrays in C and Programs

An array of arrays is known as a 2D array.
The two dimensional (2D) array in s also known as a matrix. A matrix can be represented as a table of rows and columns

Syntax:

data_type array_name [ r ][c ];

Where data_type can be any valid C data type and array_name will be a valid C identifier. A two-dimensional array can be considered as a table which will have r number of rows and c number of columns.
\n2D arrays are widely used to solve mathematical problems, image processing, and translation, board games, databases etc.

Accessing array elements:

Consider your menu card you might have 3 categories i.e starters, main course, and dessert. Under each category, you might have multiple items which belong to it.
Here, the food category becomes your rows i.e. 'r' and items listed under each will be the elements in the columns 'c'. This leads to 2D array creation, consider A.

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

	c = 0	c = 1	c = 2
(Starters) r = 0	A[0, 0]	A[0, 1]	A[0, 2]
(Main course) r = 1	A[1, 0]	A[1, 1]	A[1,2]
(Desserts) r = 2	A[2, 0]	A[2, 1]	A[2, 2]

Every element is accessed by row and column subscript or index. such as A[0,0] / A[1,0] etc. Thus it is A[r,c]. where r is rows and c is columns.

Initialization of Array elements:

2D Arrays can be initialized in several ways.

First is simply to specify the size of array with array elements.

Example: Here we have initialized an array having 2 rows and 3 columns.

int a[2][3] = {  \n  {1, 3, 1},  /* initializers for row indexed by 0 */
\n  {4, 5, 6}   /* initializers for row indexed by 1 */
\n };

The nested {} braces are optional, however, it improves the readability as it indicated the end of a particular row.

int a[2][3] = {  1, 3, 1, 4, 5, 6 };

The above declaration is also equivalent.

int a[2][2] = {1, 2, 3 ,4 }  /* Valid declaration*/\nint a[][2] = {1, 2, 3 ,4 }   /* Valid declaration*/\nint abc[][] = {1, 2, 3 ,4 }    /* Invalid declaration – you must specify second dimension that is column size*/\nint abc[2][] = {1, 2, 3 ,4 } /* Invalid declaration – you must specify second dimension that is column size*/

We shall see the reason to specify column size through the next few sections.

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