Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft

Chapter 12. Managing Varying Amounts of Data

Getting data into memory and using it there is one of the fundamental tasks that a computer program performs. The array, the primary topic of this hour, is one of the most basic and widely used data structures.

An array is defined as a collection of one data type, containing zero or more variables of that type. This simplicity is both a strength and a weakness. Although arrays have some limitations, they are useful, easy to use, and powerful, if managed appropriately. In this hour, you will learn how to:

• Define arrays

• Write code that dynamically sizes arrays

• Use functions to limit errors introduced by array usage

• Learn to use arrays to perform common tasks, such as sorting data

Understanding Arrays

The array ...