eolas/zk/Arrays_in_C.md
2025-12-15 17:26:02 +00:00

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---
tags:
- C
---
To declare an array in C, you must specify:
- the data type of the variables it will store
- the size (in square brackets)
- the array elements (in curly brackets)
Thus:
```c
int some_numbers[3] = {1, 2, 3};
```
> Array element individuation is the same as JavaScript, as is a standard `for`
> loop.
## Calculating the length of an array
Determining the length of an array is a fairly involved process compared to
higher-level languages. The process:
- Get the size of the array **in bytes**
- Divide this by the size of the first array element
So:
```c
int some_numbers[3] = {1, 2, 3};
int length = sizeof(some_numbers) / sizeof(arr[0]) // 3
```
What is happening under the hood:
The array has three `int` values. The normal byte size for a single `int` is 4
bytes (32 bits). 4 x 3 is 12. 12/4 is 3.