Master C# Arrays: Declaring, Initializing, and Working with Integer Collections

What Are Arrays in C#?

In C#, an array is a data structure that holds a fixed‑size collection of elements, all of which share the same data type.

For example, an integer array might contain the values [1, 2, 3, 4], storing four elements in total.

Arrays are ideal when you need a single variable to manage a group of like‑typed values instead of declaring a separate variable for each item.

Below we walk through declaring, initializing, and using an integer array in a simple console application. All code snippets target the Program.cs file.

Step 1 – Declaring an Array

First, you declare the array type and name. The square brackets indicate the array rank (the number of elements it can hold).

Code Explanation

1. The datatype (Int32) specifies the element type.
2. The brackets ([]) define the array’s rank.
3. The identifier (values) is the array variable name.

Step 2 – Initializing the Array

Specify the number of elements the array will hold and assign a value to each position. Array indices start at 0.

Code Explanation

1. The expression new Int32[3] creates an array that can store three integers.
2. Values are assigned by referencing the array name and the zero‑based index: values[0] = 1;, values[1] = 2;, values[2] = 3;.

Step 3 – Displaying Array Elements

Use Console.WriteLine to output each element to the console.

using System;

namespace DemoApplication
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Declare and initialize an array of three integers
            Int32[] values = new Int32[3];
            values[0] = 1;
            values[1] = 2;
            values[2] = 3;

            // Output each element
            Console.WriteLine(values[0]);
            Console.WriteLine(values[1]);
            Console.WriteLine(values[2]);

            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Code Explanation

Each Console.WriteLine call prints the value stored at the corresponding index. Running this program produces the following console output:

The output confirms that all array elements are correctly stored and accessed.