A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms

The Array: The Foundational Data Structure

The array is one of the most basic data structures in computer science. We assume that you have worked with arrays before, so you are aware that an array is simply a list of data elements. The array is versatile, and can serve as a useful tool in many different situations, but let’s just give one quick example.

If you are looking at the source code for an application that allows users to create and use shopping lists for the grocery store, you might find code like this:

array = ["apples", "bananas", "cucumbers", "dates", "elderberries"]

This array happens to contain five strings, each representing something that I might buy at the supermarket. (You’ve got to try elderberries.)

The index of an array ...