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Updated on March 26, 2025

Mastering Arrays: How to Pass Array as Parameter in C#

🌟 Introduction

Ever tried to carry a bunch of grocery bags at once? 🛍️ It’s tough, right? Instead, you grab a basket to hold them all. Similarly, in C#, arrays act like baskets that carry multiple values. But what if you want to hand that basket to a method? That’s where passing arrays as parameters comes in!

Sometimes, you might think, “How do I avoid writing the same code for multiple numbers?” Or, “Is there a way to process a whole list at once?” Well, good news—you can! Passing arrays to methods makes your code cleaner, faster, and more efficient. Plus, it saves you from typing the same thing over and over!

📝 Syntax of Passing an Array as a Parameter

Here’s the basic way to pass an array:

				
					public void MethodName(dataType[] arrayName)  
{
    // Code to work with the array
}

🔍 Explanation:

  • public void MethodName(...): Defines a method named MethodName.
  • dataType[] arrayName: Takes an array of the specified data type as a parameter.
  • Inside the curly braces {}, you can process the entire array.

💻 Example 1: Simple Program to Pass an Array

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void PrintNumbers(int[] numbers)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Numbers in the array:");
        foreach (int num in numbers)
        {
            Console.Write(num + " ");
        }
        Console.WriteLine();  
    }

    static void Main()
    {
        int[] myArray = { 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 };
        PrintNumbers(myArray); // Passing the array to the method
    }
}

🔔 Output:

				
					Numbers in the array:
10 20 30 40 50

🗣️ What’s Happening Here?

  • We created a method called PrintNumbers that takes an integer array.
  • The foreach loop goes through each number in the array.
  • We pass myArray to the PrintNumbers method, and it prints all the numbers.

👉 See how easy that was? Imagine having to write a print statement for each number. Total headache! This saves you so much time!

🌍 Example 2: Real-World Scenario - Shopping Cart Prices

Let’s say you have prices of items in your shopping cart. You want to find the total cost. Let’s do it! 🛒

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void CalculateTotal(double[] prices)
    {
        double total = 0;
        foreach (double price in prices)
        {
            total += price;  
        }
        Console.WriteLine($"Total Price: ${total}");
    }

    static void Main()
    {
        double[] itemPrices = { 12.99, 23.50, 9.75, 5.00 };
        CalculateTotal(itemPrices); // Passing array to calculate total
    }
}

🔔 Output:

				
					Total Price: $51.24

🧠 Explanation:

  • The method CalculateTotal adds up all item prices.
  • We pass itemPrices to the method.
  • It sums them up and prints the total cost.

🙌 Imagine buying groceries and instantly knowing your total before checkout. Handy, right?

🔥 Example 3: Finding Maximum Value in an Array

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void FindMax(int[] numbers)
    {
        int max = numbers[0];
        foreach (int num in numbers)
        {
            if (num > max)
                max = num;
        }
        Console.WriteLine($"Maximum Value: {max}");
    }

    static void Main()
    {
        int[] scores = { 88, 92, 75, 99, 85 };
        FindMax(scores); // Passing array to find the highest score
    }
}

🔔 Output:

				
					Maximum Value: 99

💡 Why This Is Cool:

  • FindMax checks each score to find the highest.
  • Instead of comparing values one by one, you let the method do the heavy lifting!

🤔 Ever wanted to find the top scorer in a class quickly? Here’s your solution! 🎓

🎲 Example 4: Updating Array Values (Applying Discounts)

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void ApplyDiscount(double[] prices, double discountPercentage)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < prices.Length; i++)
        {
            prices[i] -= prices[i] * (discountPercentage / 100);  
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Prices after discount:");
        foreach (double price in prices)
        {
            Console.Write($"{price:F2} ");
        }
        Console.WriteLine();  
    }

    static void Main()
    {
        double[] itemPrices = { 50.00, 30.00, 20.00 };
        ApplyDiscount(itemPrices, 10); // Passing array with discount
    }
}

🔔 Output:

				
					Prices after discount:
45.00 27.00 18.00

🚀 What’s Happening:

  • ApplyDiscount reduces each price by the given discount.
  • We pass the prices and the discount percentage.
  • The array is updated, and new prices are displayed.

💥 Who doesn’t love discounts? Now your code can handle them too! 😎

🎉 Conclusion:

So, how are you feeling? Confident? Passing arrays as parameters isn’t as scary as it sounds, right? 😊 By using arrays, you make your code neat, organized, and super efficient. Plus, you save yourself from repetitive work. Next time someone asks you “How to pass array as parameter in C#?”—you’ll be ready to show off your skills!

👉 Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep experimenting with different arrays and methods.

 

🚀 Next What?

Hey! 😃 You’ve just learned how to pass an array as a parameter—that’s awesome! 🎉 I hope it wasn’t too tricky. You’re doing great, so keep it up!

Now, are you ready for the next exciting part? In the next chapter, you’ll learn how to return an array from a method. 🎁 This means you can send back a whole bunch of values at once—pretty cool, right? Let’s keep the learning fun and easy. See you there! 🚀

← Iterating Through Arrays
Returning Arrays from Methods →

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