Can an array reference 2 different arrays

Question

Lets say I have

int[] arraySegment1 = new int[10];
int[] arraySegment2 = new int[10];

Is there anyway to pass them into a one dimensional array by reference?

int[] array = new int[21];

//Could I now make the arraySegment1 be passed in array[0] - array[10] by reference? 
//And arraySegment2 in array[11] - array[21] passed by reference?

//Then when executing:
array[0] = 10000000;

System.Console.WriteLine(arraySegment1[0]);

//It should display 10000000
//By putting the arraySegment1 as reference in the one dimensional array: array?

I have edited your title. Please see, "Should questions include “tags” in their titles?", where the consensus is "no, they should not". — John Saunders
– John Saunders, Commented Dec 29, 2013 at 13:14

Darin Dimitrov · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-29 10:59:31Z

3

Checkout the Array.Copy method which allows you to copy segments of arrays to a destination array:

int[] arraySegment1 = new int[10];
int[] arraySegment2 = new int[10];
// TODO: populate the arraySegment1 and arraySegment2 with some values

int[] array = new int[20];
Array.Copy(arraySegment1, 0, array, 0, arraySegment1.Length);
Array.Copy(arraySegment2, 0, array, arraySegment1.Length, arraySegment2.Length);

Also 20 is enough of a Length for the resulting array, not 21 if the 2 source arrays are 10 each.

answered Dec 29, 2013 at 10:59

Darin Dimitrov

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4 Comments

Selman Genç Over a year ago

I guess he wants to connect arrays.In your code,if array[0] changes will arraysegment1[0] change too ?

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

Of course not. Int32 is a value type. It's absolutely impossible to do that with a value type which by its very own definition is not passed by reference but always copied the value. You should use a reference type if you want to achieve that.

Lasse V. Karlsen Over a year ago

It has nothing to do with Int32 being a value type, and everything to do with the fact that you can't create a combined array that in reality is two or more smaller ones. It wouldn't work with reference types either. Sure, you could change the object the arrays refer to, but replacing element 0 in one of the two "sub arrays" will not propagate up to the bigger one, because you can't get that working in .NET.

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

I must have misunderstood what the OP is trying to achieve. I don't understand why you cannot create a combined array of 2 smaller arrays. That's exactly what my answer illustrates using the Array.Copy method. You have 2 small arrays and join them into a resulting array. As far as the value types are concerned, when you make Array.Copy with reference types, changing some element in one array will also reflect in the resulting array. That's what I meant but I might be missing something.

Darin Kolev · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-29 12:38:50Z

1

Try this one..

        int[] arraySegment1 = new int[10];
        int[] arraySegment2 = new int[10];
        int[] array = new int[21];
        arraySegment1.CopyTo(array,0);
        arraySegment2.CopyTo(array,(arraySegment1.Length));

edited Dec 29, 2013 at 12:38

Darin Kolev

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answered Dec 29, 2013 at 12:19

Kumod Singh

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Comments

Selman Genç · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-29 11:05:09Z

0

No. It's not possible with standart arrays. But with generics you can do something like this:

int[] arraySegment1 = new int[10];
int[] arraySegment2 = new int[10];
// populate arrays

List<int[]> lists = new List<int[]>();
lists.Add(arraySegment1);
lists.Add(arraySegment2);

lists[0][0] = 100000;
System.Console.WriteLine(arraySegment1[0]); // then it will display 100000

answered Dec 29, 2013 at 11:05

Selman Genç

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Comments

Yanshof · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-09 06:05:04Z

-2

you typing wrong object

change the arraySegment1 in the write line to be array

System.Console.WriteLine(array[0]);

edited Feb 9, 2014 at 6:05

answered Dec 29, 2013 at 10:59

Yanshof

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