How to: Initialize an Array
This example shows three different ways to initialize different kinds of arrays: single-dimensional, multidimensional, and jagged.
Example
// Single-dimensional array (numbers).
int[] n1 = new int[4] {2, 4, 6, 8};
int[] n2 = new int[] {2, 4, 6, 8};
int[] n3 = {2, 4, 6, 8};
// Single-dimensional array (strings).
string[] s1 = new string[3] {"John", "Paul", "Mary"};
string[] s2 = new string[] {"John", "Paul", "Mary"};
string[] s3 = {"John", "Paul", "Mary"};
// Multidimensional array.
int[,] n4 = new int[3, 2] { {1, 2}, {3, 4}, {5, 6} };
int[,] n5 = new int[,] { {1, 2}, {3, 4}, {5, 6} };
int[,] n6 = { {1, 2}, {3, 4}, {5, 6} };
// Jagged array.
int[][] n7 = new int[2][] { new int[] {2,4,6}, new int[] {1,3,5,7,9} };
int[][] n8 = new int[][] { new int[] {2,4,6}, new int[] {1,3,5,7,9} };
int[][] n9 = { new int[] {2,4,6}, new int[] {1,3,5,7,9} };
Compiling the Code
Copy the code and paste it into the Main method of a console application.
Robust Programming
Array members are automatically initialized to the default initial value for the array type if the array is not initialized at the time it is declared. If the array declaration is a field of a type, then when the type is instantiated, the array will be set to its default value of null.