Array Of Strings In C

Array of Strings in C

In C programming, a string is indeed a one-dimensional array of characters and is typically defined as an array of characters. Each string is terminated with a null character, represented as '\0', which marks the end of the string.

An array of strings in C, often referred to as a “two-dimensional array of character types,” is essentially an array of arrays of characters. Each element in the first dimension is a string (which is an array of characters), and you can have multiple such strings in the second dimension. This creates a tabular structure, making it a 2D array. It’s commonly used to store and manage multiple strings, making it an application of a 2D array.

Syntax:

char variable_name[r] = {list of string};

In C, you can use variables with the following names and meanings:

• var_name: This variable represents the name of a variable in your C program. It’s a placeholder for the actual variable name you want to use in your code. For example, if you want to create an integer variable, you can use int var_name; and then replace var_name with your desired variable name, like int age;.
• r: This variable represents the maximum number of string values that can be stored in a string array. If you have an array of strings and want to specify the maximum number of strings it can hold, you can use int r; and assign the desired value to r.
• c: This variable represents the maximum number of character values that can be stored in each string array. In the context of a 2D character array representing an array of strings, c would typically refer to the maximum length of each individual string. You can use int c; and assign the desired value to c to set the maximum length for each string in the array.

Example

// C Program to print Array 
// of strings
#include <stdio.h>
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
  char arr[3][10] = {"Skill", 
                     "Skills", "Skillver"};
  printf("String array Elements are:\n");
   
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) 
  {
    printf("%s\n", arr[i]);
  }
  return 0;
}

Output

String array Elements are:
Skill
Skills
Skillver

Invalid Operations in Arrays of Strings 

In C, you can directly change or assign values to an array of strings. An array of strings is essentially a 2D array of characters, where each row (or element in the first dimension) represents a string (a sequence of characters terminated by a null character ‘\0’).

Example

char arr[3][10] = {"Skill", "Skills", "Skillver"};

We can’t directly change or put a value of array of string in C

The value of arr[0] in the array char arr[3][10] = {"Skill", "Skills", "Skillver"}; is the string “Skill.” So, arr[0] represents the string “Skill,” which is a sequence of characters ending with the null terminator ‘\0’.

To change values we can use strcpy() function in C

strcpy(arr[0],"GFG"); // This will copy the value to the arr[0].

Array of Pointers of Strings

In C, you can use an array of pointers to represent an array of strings. This is often referred to as an array of pointers to characters, and it provides a more flexible way to manage strings compared to a 2D character array.

Syntax

char *arr[] = { "Skill", "Skills", "Skillver" };

C Program to print an array of pointers

// C Program to print Array 
// of Pointers
#include <stdio.h>
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
  char *arr[] = {"Skill", "Skills", "Skillver"};
  printf("String array Elements are:\n");
   
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) 
  {
    printf("%s\n", arr[i]);
  }
  return 0;
}

Output

String array Elements are:
Skill
Skills
Skillver

FAQ- Array of Strings in C