CHAPTER 49C — Two-Dimensional Arrays

Often data comes naturally in a two dimensional form. For example, maps are two dimensional (or more), the layout of a printed page is two dimensional, a computer-generated image (such as on your computer screen) is two dimensional, and so on.

For these situations you need a two-dimensional array. This is a collection of cells laid out in a 2D grid, like graph paper. Each cell can hold a value (as with a 1D array). However, now two indexes are needed to specify a cell.

Chapter Topics:

• Two-dimensional Arrays
• 2D Array Declaration
• Initializer Lists
• Differing Numbers of cells in each row
• 2D Arrays as Arrays of 1D Arrays
• Printing a 2D Array

If you have ever used a spreadsheet application then you already have used a 2D grid for holding and manipulating data.