How to initialize a string or char jagged array in C#?

Question

Besides using a loop. An int array can be initialized with 0s easy like arr = Enumerable.Range(0, 100).Select(i => new int[100]).ToArray();.

Is there a way I can initialize a string or char array in a similar fashion?

Plug string or char into your expression where you have int. What did you get? Is it what you want? — Anthony Pegram
– Anthony Pegram, Commented Apr 28, 2012 at 3:21
I just want to initialize it with string 0s but instead I get a bunch of nulls when I write to the text file. — Jack
– Jack, Commented Apr 28, 2012 at 3:32

Erik Philips · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-28 15:17:55Z

2

I think you're looking for:

string[] arrayOfStringZeros = Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                                        .Select(i => "0")
                                        .ToArray();


char[] arrayOfCharZeros = Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                                   .Select(i => '0')
                                   .ToArray();

Updated

char[][] jaggedOfCharZeros = Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                                       .Select(i => Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                                                              .Select(j => '0')
                                                              .ToArray())
                                       .ToArray();

Actually it would probably be slightly more efficient to do:

char[] initZeros = Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                             .Select(i => '0')
                             .ToArray();


char[][] jaggedOfCharZeros = Enumerable.Range(0, 100)
                                       .Select(i => (char[])initZeros.Clone())
                                       .ToArray();

edited Apr 28, 2012 at 15:17

answered Apr 28, 2012 at 3:25

Erik Philips

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4 Comments

Jack Over a year ago

But how would I do that for a jagged array?

Jack Over a year ago

Ok that works, I see how it's done. Thanks. But the inner i should be a j or something or it'll conflict.

Erik Philips Over a year ago

I added a slightly better version.

Peter Over a year ago

Beware, the second, "better", version adds a reference to the same char array to each first dimension index of the 2D array, insread of a new instance.

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