Jagged Array or Array of Arrays in C

7 Jan 2025 | 3 min read

A jagged array (also referred to as "ragged arrays" or "array of arrays") in the C programming language is an array of arrays in which each element of the primary array is a reference to another array rather than a fixed-size component. It enables the generation of arrays with a variable number of columns, with a varied number of columns for each row. Jagged arrays might be useful when dealing with irregular data sets where the total amount of columns in each row varies.

Example:

The following are the techniques for implementing the jagged array:

1. Using an array and a pointer (Static Jagged Array)

First, declare 1-D arrays with the total number of rows we'll need, and then use a pointer to access the array.
The number of columns (or components) in the row will equal the size of each array (array for the items in the row).
After that, define a 1-D array of pointers to contain the row addresses.
The total number of rows in the jagged array is equal to the size of the 1-D array.

Example:

Let us take an example to illustrate the jagged array using array and pointer in C.

Output:

1 5 3 8 
5 9

2. By using the Pointer array

Here, declare a pointer array (jagged array), the size of which will be the total number of rows necessary in the Jagged array.
After that, allocate memory for the total amount of elements that are desired in this row for each reference in the array.

Example:

Let us take an example to illustrate the jagged array using pointer array in C.

Output:

500 
501 502 503

Advantages of Jagged Array or Array of Arrays in C:

Several advantages of Jagged array or Array of Arrays are as follows:

Memory Efficiency: Jagged Array allows for the storage of arrays of variable lengths, decreasing memory use by allocating space only for the needed components.
Flexibility: Jagged Array allows for differently shaped data structures with variable sub-array sizes.
Dynamic nature: Jagged Array allows for dynamic scaling of specific arrays inside the structure without impacting others.
Cache Locality: Jagged Array provides greater cache usage due to contiguous memory allocation, which could result in quicker access times as compared to jagged arrays.
Regular Data Structures' Simplicity: Jagged Arrays are ideal for regular grid-style data with the same amount of columns in each row.
Ease of use: Multidimensional arrays with identical dimensions are easier to view and operate.

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