I was wondering what's the reason behind the syntax? I mean it's like this:
int[ , ] arrayName = new int[10,10];
Wouldn't it be simpler if we had something like:
int[10,10] arrayName ;
What caused the software architect to make such a decision?
It's because you can declare the variable in one scope, and initialize it in another (normally in a constructor).
Something like this:
public class Foo
{
private int[ , ] Bar; // Bar will be null until initialized
public Foo(int a, int b)
{
Bar = new int[a, b];
}
}
With int[10,10] arrayName; you are committing to the array size. What would happen if I did this?
int[10,10] arrayOne;
int[11,11] arrayTwo;
arrayOne = arrayTwo;
An array object is simply a pointer to a block of managed memory. Knowing this, arrayOne = arrayTwo would have to be technically legal.
Therefore, stating that it as an int[10,10] is actually a lie. It may start that way, but it could at any time be reassigned into an array of different dimensions.
This
int[ , ] arrayName = new int[10,10];
already initializes the variable in memory and instantiate it. Also, you could change the size of the array during runtime, for example
arrayName = new int[20,20]
On the other hand
int[10,10] arrayName ;
Will just declare the variable for the array. arrayNamethen is still null.
Initializes means assigns memory to it? is it filled with a value, say 0 , when initialized?
new keyword
null until initialized (normally with the new keyword)int[,] arrayName = new int[10,10];
Only the left hand side is declaring the array, the right hand side is initialising it. This is true for most (if not all) of variables in C#. For example
string test; //declaring
test = "test"; //initialising
string test = "test"; //declare and initialise
