To declare an array, use square brackets [] after the data type (e.g., int[]).
A variable containing a reference to an array is created.
Memory allocation for the array is done using new (e.g., new int[10]).
Loops, especially for loops, are commonly used to iterate through array elements.
Array elements are accessed using square brackets with an integer index (e.g., array[index]).
Array indices start at 0 and end at one less than the array's length.
Example Program
The program declares two integer arrays, circleX and circleY, each with a size of 10.
The mousePressed function adds the mouse coordinates to the arrays when the mouse is clicked, up to a maximum of 10 clicks.
A for loop draws circles at the stored mouse click locations with an index number next to each circle.
Advice to students include:
Updating attributes in classes.
Updating global values in the main tab.
Separating concerns like animation display and event handling.
Shifting Array Elements
To make space for a new point when the array is full, existing elements can be shifted either to the left or right.
When shifting elements, out-of-bounds errors can occur if the loop iterates beyond the array's boundaries.
Functions/methods should be used once to encode and can then be reused.
Finding the Maximum Value in an Array
An algorithm is presented to find the maximum x and y values in the arrays and draw a rectangle.
The algorithm iterates through the used elements, comparing each element to the current maximum.
Passing Arrays to Functions
A function maxArray is created to find the maximum value in an integer array.
The function takes an integer array as a parameter and returns the maximum value.
Another function is created to insert a an element into an array.
Values vs. References
Arrays is passed to the function by reference, not by value. Changes made to the array inside the function will affect the original array.
Primitive types (int, boolean, float, etc.) are passed by value, while arrays and objects are passed by reference.
Objects as Parameters
Objects, like arrays, are passed by reference.
A detect method is added to the Disk class to detect collisions with another disk.
The detect method takes another Disk object as a parameter and checks if the distance between the two disks is smaller than the diameter and if the one disk isn't protected.