C++ - why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

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why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

Total Answers and Comments: 6

Last Update: February 01, 2009 Asked by: rajesh

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Submitted by: bsamar

This boils down to the concept of Binary digits. Take an array size of 64 for example. We start from 0 and end at 63. We require 6 bits.But, if we were to start from 1 and end at 64, we would require 7 bits to store the same number, thus increasing the storage size.

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wael.salman, newlife

December 13, 2005 03:49:08

sarika

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

c C++ compilers are build such that.so array index always starts with 0.

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December 21, 2005 05:22:29

bsamar

Member Since: December 2005 Contribution: 2

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

This boils down to the concept of Binary digits. Take an array size of 64 for example. We start from 0 and end at 63. We require 6 bits.But if we were to start from 1 and end at 64 we would require 7 bits to store the same number thus increasing the storage size.

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January 12, 2006 09:48:36

sandya_nath

Member Since: January 2006 Contribution: 1

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

Array starts with zero because for the easy manipulation start from the whole numbers.

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April 07, 2006 00:31:54

neeraj_sathe

Member Since: April 2006 Contribution: 1

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

amarnath B.S. has explained the concept properly I would like to know the mechanism that he has described in detail.

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August 24, 2006 01:49:14

Vincent

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

because the name of an array is actually a pointer to the first element of this array in memory :array[0] is equivalent to *arrayarray[1] is equivalent to *(array + 1)...array[i] is equivalent to *(array + i)

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January 30, 2009 02:48:08

Nisikant

Member Since: January 2009 Contribution: 8

RE: why array index starts from 0[zero] only?

The array is terminated by a NULL character. Hence for array elements the space will be length-1. suppose you have 5 elements in an array. The last position is occupied by NULL character then space available is 4. If the index will start from 1 then how can one store 5 elements. To over come this problems the array index starts from zero(0). It is a prorgamming technique of a programming language.

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