array is composite data type but how?

Question

Array is composite data type. A composite data type is one whose values are composed of component values (possibly values chosen from other data types.) Example of composite data type is array.
int a[ ] = {1,2,3,4,5};

In above example, as far as I understand it, is composite because an array-of-int value is comprised of some number of element values chosen from the int type. Using composite data types, we can manage multiple pieces of related data as a single datum. An array is the concept of using a number of values declared with in the same data type.

Please explain in simple way array is composite data type. Explain this statement with example?

You've just explained it yourself. What are you unsure about exactly? — akuzminykh, Aug 05 '20 at 16:22
A composite data type is one which is composed with various primitive data type. A class defined with various primitive data types such as int, double etc;but i am using only one data type for array initialization that is int — manu, Aug 05 '20 at 16:24
The element types are irrelevant, important is only that there are several elements. — Henry, Aug 05 '20 at 16:28
just rewording - an array is a composition of same type of values i.e. `int[] iArray = new int[5] ;` is same as a composition of type `aIntCompose { int i1, i2,i3,i4,i5 }` — PrasadU, Aug 05 '20 at 16:31
When someone talks about "composite" I think about things like [composition over inheritance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_over_inheritance) or [composite pattern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_pattern). I've never thought about calling an array a composite but actually, per definition of the word, it is one. The explanation you've provided seems absolutely logical to me. But you should see arrays then as a composition of elements and not a composition of types; then the confusion is probably gone. — akuzminykh, Aug 05 '20 at 16:34
you are taking instantiation as example for composition. may i take example of initialization of an array a [] = {1,2,3,4}?@PrasadU — manu, Aug 05 '20 at 16:35

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 25 '21 at 11:57

A class defined with various primitive data types such as int, double etc;but i am using only one data type for array initialization that is int

Consider the following example:

class Test {
    int a, b, c;
    Test() {
        a = 1 ; b = 2 ; c = 3;
    }
}

class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Test object = new Test();
    }
}

As per your definition, in this case, even the class Test will be a primitive data type because it only int type values. However, this is not true.

As @Henry stated,

The element types are irrelevant, important is only that there are several elements

So basically, I would say a more precise definition for composite data type would be:

The data types which are created by the user, which may consist of one or more primitive data types, created under a single declaration are called Composite data types.

Going by that definition, arrays are also composite data types.

array is composite data type but how?

1 Answers1