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Section 10.1 Worked Example: Arrays - Instantiate and Alter

Subgoals for Evaluating Arrays.

  1. Set up array from 0 to size-1
  2. Evaluate data type of statements against array
  3. Trace statements, updating slots as you go
    1. Remember assignment subgoals

Subsection 10.1.1

You can watch this video or read through the content below it.
Problem:
Given the initialized array:
int [] alpha;
Evaluate these statements and determine the value of all variables. If any error occurs, give the reason.
alpha = new int[5];
alpha[4] = 22;
alpha[0] = 10;
alpha[1] = alpha[4] - alpha[0];
alpha[2] = alpha[1] - alpha[0];
alpha[3] = alpha[alpha[2] - 1];
alpha[4] = alpha[alpha[3]];

Subsection 10.1.2 SG1: Set up array from 0 to size-1

alpha = new int[5];
Figure 10.1.1.
  • alpha is declared as an array of ints
  • This statement allocates 5 slots for integers (first line are indexes, second line are values/content):
  • Notice that the largest index is 4 (size of 5 minus 1).

Subsection 10.1.3 SG2: Evaluate data type of statements against array

alpha[4] = 22;
alpha[0] = 10;
alpha[1] = alpha[4] - alpha[0];
alpha[2] = alpha[1] - alpha[0];
alpha[3] = alpha[alpha[2] - 1];
alpha[4] = alpha[alpha[3]];
  • Each of these statements only involve integers.
  • Notice that for every [ ] in the statements the result will be an integer because we have an integer array.
  • All of the array indexes on the left hand side of the assignment statements are within the bounds of the array (0 – 4).
  • We can see that some of the index values on the right hand side of the array are within bounds, but we will need to evaluate them all to see if all are valid.

Subsection 10.1.4 SG3: Trace statements, updating slots as you go

We will evaluate the first two statements:
alpha[4] = 22;
alpha[0] = 10;
The resulting array is:
Figure 10.1.2.
The next statement is:
alpha[1] = alpha[4] - alpha[0];
Figure 10.1.3.
Next:
alpha[2] = alpha[1] - alpha[0];
Figure 10.1.4.
For the next statement, alpha[3] = alpha[alpha[2] - 1];, first determine the value of alpha[2] which is 2. Then look at alpha[2 - 1] which is alpha[1], or 12
Figure 10.1.5.
Finally, there is a problem with the last statement: alpha[4] = alpha[alpha[3]]; First determine the value of alpha[3] which is 12. When we try to get alpha[12], it is out of bounds, and an IndexOutOfBounds exception occurs with this statement.

Subsection 10.1.5 Practice Pages

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