Working with Partially Filled Arrays
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IntroductionWhen working with arrays, you will come across situations where some values in an array do not have data. These arrays are said to be 'partially filled'. This section will show you why partially filled arrays occur, types of partially filled arrays, and how to handle partially filled arrays.
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Why Partially Filled Arrays Occur
Partially filled arrays occur because once an array size it set, the size of the array cannot be changed. Therefore, we generally pick an array size that is large enough to hold the potential number of values that need to be stored.
For example, if the average number of values that need to be stored is 20, but you could potentially have 40, then you need to make an array of size 40. However, this means that on average, half of the array will be empty.
Types of Partially Filled Arrays
There are 3 types of partially filled arrays:
1. Linear Contiguous Block
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The filled values in the partially filled array start at the first element, and additional filled elements come immediately after the previously filled element. However, the array is not completely full.
2. Non-Linear Contiguous Block
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The filled values in the partially filled array look very similar to the linear contiguous block, except that the contiguous block of filled array values does not start at the first element. However, the values still form a solid block of values in the array.
3. Non-Contiguous Block
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The filled values in the partially filled array can be in any location, and there is no guarantee of when an array value will be filled.
Handling Partially Filled Arrays
There are a few different ways we could handle a partially filled array, depending on the type of partially filled array we're dealing with. However, in some programs, array values are constantly changing. A partially filled array with a linear-contiguous block of values one moment may have a non-contiguous block of values the next.
Given that the array could change, we need a solution to handle all cases. This involves knowing how to do two things:
1. How to check if an array value is empty
2. How to keep track of the number of elements in the array
How to Check if an Array Value is Empty
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Checking for Empty Array Values
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