📦 What is an Array in Java?

An array is a container object that holds a fixed number of values of a single type. Think of it like a row of mailboxes, each storing a value and indexed by a number.

🛠️ Declaring and Creating Arrays

int[] numbers; // Declaration
numbers = new int[5]; // Creation with 5 elements

You can also declare and create at the same time:

int[] numbers = new int[5];

🌱 Initializing with Values

You can fill an array with values right away:

int[] scores = {90, 85, 70, 95, 88};

Now scores[0] is 90, scores[1] is 85, etc.

🔍 Accessing and Changing Values

Java arrays use zero-based indexing, meaning the first element is at index 0.

System.out.println(scores[2]); // Prints: 70

scores[2] = 75; // Changes third value to 75

📏 Finding the Array Length

System.out.println(scores.length); // Prints: 5

Note: length is a property, not a method—no parentheses!

🔄 Looping Through Arrays

You can loop through an array using a for loop:

for (int i = 0; i < scores.length; i++) {
    System.out.println(scores[i]);
}

Or use an enhanced for-each loop:

for (int score : scores) {
    System.out.println(score);
}