Basics of Character Single Dimension Array

In this section, you are going to learn

What are the basic properties of a character single dimension array ?

What are the different expressions of single dimension array ?

What are synonymous expresions of single dimension array ?

How to find sizeof() of expressions of single dimenstion array ?

Topics in this section,

Character Single Dimension Array : Syntax

Character Single Dimension Array : FAQs

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Examples

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Example 1

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Example 2

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Properties

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Expressions

Character Single Dimension Array : Synonym Expressions

Character Single Dimension Array : typeof(expression)

Character Single Dimension Array : sizeof(expression)

Character Single Dimension Array : fun(expression)

Character Single Dimension Array : All Examples of Function Calls

Character Single Dimension Array : Syntax

char array_name[Column];

Character Single Dimension Array : FAQs

Consider a Character Single Dimension Array

char a[10];

Let us answer few basic questions in this array

How many characters can be stored in this array ?

How many bytes are there in this array ?

What is the sizeof the array ?

How many bits can be stored in this array ?

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Examples

Let us now explore basic examples of single dimension array !

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Example 1

Step 1 : Define a Single Dimension Array

char a[10] = "Laptop";

Step 2 : Access and Print individual characters

for (int i = 0; i < strlen(a); i++)
{
        printf("%c", a[i]);
}

Step 3 : Access and Print individual strings

printf("%s", a);

Step 4 : See the full program below

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void)
{
        char a[10] = "Laptop";

        // Print individual characters
        printf("---------- Access and Print Individual Characters --------------\n");
        for (int i = 0; i < strlen(a); i++)
        {
                printf("%c", a[i]);
        }
        printf("\n");

        // Print string
        printf("---------- Access and Print Individual String --------------\n");
        printf("%s", a);
        printf("\n");

        return 0;
}

Step 5 : Output is as below

---------- Access and Print Individual Characters --------------
Laptop

---------- Access and Print Individual String --------------
Laptop

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Example 2

Step 1 : Define a Single Dimension Array

char a[10] = { 'L', 'a', 'p', 't', 'o', 'p', '\0' };

Step 2 : Access and Print individual characters

for (int i = 0; i < strlen(a); i++)
{
        printf("%c", a[i]);
}

Step 3 : Access and Print individual strings

printf("%s", a);

Step 4 : See the full program below

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void)
{
        char a[10] = { 'L', 'a', 'p', 't', 'o', 'p', '\0' };

        // Print individual characters
        printf("---------- Access and Print Individual Characters --------------\n");
        for (int i = 0; i < strlen(a); i++)
        {
                printf("%c", a[i]);
        }
        printf("\n");

        // Print string
        printf("---------- Access and Print Individual String --------------\n");
        printf("%s", a);
        printf("\n");

        return 0;
}

Step 5 : Output is as below

---------- Access and Print Individual Characters --------------
Laptop

---------- Access and Print Individual String --------------
Laptop

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Properties

Let us now explore Double Dimension Array in depth !

Consider a character single dimension array

char a[10];

Then below are the properties

Expressions

Synonyms

typeof(expression)

sizeof(expression)

fun(expression)

Character Single Dimension Array : Basic Expressions

Know what are the possible expressions and how to properly call them !

Expression	Description
a[0]	`a[0]` is first character in the array
a[1]	`a[1]` is second character in the array
a[9]	`a[9]` is tenth character in the array
&a[0]	`&a[0]` is address of first character
&a[1]	`&a[1]` is address of second character
&a[9]	`&a[9]` is address of tenth character
*a	`*a` is first character in the array
*(a + 1)	`*(a + 1)` is second character in the array
*(a + 9)	`*(a + 9)` is tenth character in the array
a	`a` is address of first character `a` is an array of ten characters
a + 1	`a + 1` is address of second character `a` is an array of nine characters
a + 9	`a + 9` is address of tenth character `a + 9` is an array of one character
&a	`&a` is the address of array of characters

Character Single Dimension Array : Synonym Expressions

Synonyms : Which can be used interchangeably !

Programmatically few expressions are one and the same ! Let us learn them

Expression	Synonyms
a[0]	*a
a[1]	*(a + 1)
a[9]	*(a + 9)
&a[0]	a + 0 a
&a[1]	a + 1
&a[9]	a + 9
*a	a[0]
*(a + 1)	a[1]
*(a + 9)	a[9]
a	&a[0]
a + 1	&a[1]
a + 9	&a[9]
&a	&a

Character Single Dimension Array : typeof(expression)

Finding the type of an expression is easy. See below

Expression	Type	Description
a[0]	char	`a[0]` is a character Hence type is `char`
a[1]	char	`a[1]` is a character Hence type is `char`
a[9]	char	`a[9]` is a character Hence type is `char`
&a[0]	char *	`a[0]` is a character `typeof(a[0])` is `char` Hence `typeof(&a[0])` is `char *`
&a[1]	char *	`a[1]` is a character `typeof(a[1])` is `char` Hence `typeof(&a[1])` is `char *`
&a[9]	char *	`a[9]` is a character `typeof(a[9])` is `char` Hence `typeof(&a[9])` is `char *`
*a	char	`*a` is a character Hence type is `char`
*(a + 1)	char	`*(a + 1)` is a character Hence type is `char`
*(a + 9)	char	`*(a + 9)` is a character Hence type is `char`
a	char *	`a` is equal to `&a[0]` Hence `typeof(a)` is `char *`
a + 1	char *	`a + 1` is equal to `&a[1]` Hence `typeof(a + 1)` is `char *`
a + 9	char *	`a + 9` is equal to `&a[9]` Hence `typeof(a + 9)` is `char *`
&a	char (* )[10]	`&a` is address of complete array

Character Single Dimension Array : sizeof(expression)

sizeof(expression)	size	Description
sizeof(a[0])	1 Byte	a[0] is a character
sizeof(a[1])	1 Byte	a[1] is a character
sizeof(a[9])	1 Byte	a[9] is a charcter
sizeof(&a[0])	8 Bytes	&a[0] is address / pointer
sizeof(&a[1])	8 Bytes	&a[1] is address / pointer
sizeof(&a[9])	8 Bytes	&a[9] is address / pointer
sizeof(*a)	1 Byte	*a is a character
sizeof(*(a + 1) )	1 Byte	*(a + 1) is a character
sizeof(*(a + 9) )	1 Byte	*(a + 9) is a character
sizeof(a)	10 Bytes	a is an array of 10 characters
sizeof(a + 1)	8 Bytes	a + 1 is address / pointer
sizeof(a + 9)	8 Bytes	a + 9 is address / pointer
sizeof(&a)	8 Bytes	&a is address / pointer

See the full program below

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
        char a[10];

        printf("sizeof(a[0])            = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a[0]) );
        printf("sizeof(a[1])            = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a[1]) );
        printf("sizeof(a[9])            = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a[9]) );
        printf("sizeof(&a[0])           = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(&a[0]) );
        printf("sizeof(&a[1])           = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(&a[1]) );
        printf("sizeof(&a[9])           = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(&a[9]) );
        printf("sizeof(*a)              = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(*a) );
        printf("sizeof( *(a + 1) )      = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof( *(a + 1) ) );
        printf("sizeof( *(a + 9) )      = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof( *(a + 9) ) );
        printf("sizeof(a)               = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a) );
        printf("sizeof(a + 1)           = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a + 1) );
        printf("sizeof(a + 9)           = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(a + 9) );
        printf("sizeof(&a)              = %d\t\n", (int) sizeof(&a) );

        return 0;
}

Output is as below on 64 bit OS

sizeof(a[0])            = 1
sizeof(a[1])            = 1
sizeof(a[9])            = 1
sizeof(&a[0])           = 8
sizeof(&a[1])           = 8
sizeof(&a[9])           = 8
sizeof(*a)              = 1
sizeof( *(a + 1) )      = 1
sizeof( *(a + 9) )      = 1
sizeof(a)               = 10
sizeof(a + 1)           = 8
sizeof(a + 9)           = 8
sizeof(&a)              = 8

Character Single Dimension Array : fun(expression)

If fun(x) is the function call, then fun(typeof(x)) is the prototype / definition

Function Call	Function Definition	Observations
fun(a[0])	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(a[1])	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(a[9])	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(&a[0])	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(&a[1])	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(&a[9])	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(*a)	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(*(a + 1))	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(*(a + 9))	void fun(char x) { }	Call by Value
fun(a)	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(a + 1)	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(a + 9)	void fun(char *p) { }	Call by Reference
fun(&a)	void fun(char (*p) [10] ) { }	Call by Reference

Character Single Dimension Array : All Examples of Function Calls

Read more about function calls and conventions of Functions and Character Single Dimension Array