Jagged Arrays

Jagged Arrays

In C#, a jagged array is an array of arrays, where each sub-array can have a different length. This allows for more flexibility when working with arrays, as compared to a multi-dimensional array where all sub-arrays must have the same length.

Jagged arrays are declared using the following syntax:

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data_type[][] array_name = new data_type[outer_length][];

Here, data_type represents the type of data to be stored in the array, array_name is the name of the jagged array, and outer_length is the number of sub-arrays in the jagged array. The second set of brackets [] is left empty, indicating that the sub-arrays are not initialized yet.

Each sub-array can then be initialized separately using the following syntax:

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array_name[index] = new data_type[inner_length];

Here, index represents the index of the sub-array that is being initialized, and inner_length is the length of the sub-array.

Jagged arrays can be used to store data in a tabular format, where each row can have a different number of columns. They are also useful when dealing with data structures where the size of the data varies depending on the context, such as when working with trees or graphs.

However, jagged arrays can be less efficient than multi-dimensional arrays when it comes to memory allocation and accessing elements, as each sub-array is stored separately in memory. Therefore, the choice between using a jagged array or a multi-dimensional array depends on the specific requirements of the application.