Kotlin Arrays
Kotlin Arrays
Arrays are used to store multiple values in a single variable, instead of creating separate variables for each value.
To create an array, use the arrayOf()
function, and place the
values in a comma-separated list inside it:
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
Access the Elements of an Array
You can access an array element by referring to the index number, inside square brackets.
In this example, we access the value of the first element in cars:
Example
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
println(cars[0])
// Outputs Volvo
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Note: Just like with Strings, Array indexes start with 0: [0] is the first element. [1] is the second element, etc.
Change an Array Element
To change the value of a specific element, refer to the index number:
Example
cars[0] = "Opel"
Example
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
cars[0] = "Opel"
println(cars[0])
// Now outputs Opel instead of Volvo
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Array Length / Size
To find out how many elements an array have, use the size
property:
Example
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
println(cars.size)
// Outputs 4
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Check if an Element Exists
You can use the in
operator to check if an element exists in
an array:
Example
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
if ("Volvo" in cars) {
println("It exists!")
} else {
println("It does not exist.")
}
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Loop Through an Array
Often when you work with arrays, you need to loop through all of the elements.
You can loop through the array elements with the for
loop, which you will learn even more about in the next chapter.
The following example outputs all elements in the cars array:
Example
val cars = arrayOf("Volvo", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda")
for (x in cars) {
println(x)
}
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