In object-oriented programming, a class array can refer to either a standard array of objects of a given class or an encapsulated class array object that provides methods for array management. The former allows for dynamic polymorphism, but can have memory allocation issues. The latter can have efficient sorting and searching algorithms and can be easily modified. Both require an object-oriented programming language that supports classes.
In object-oriented programming, an array of classes can refer to one of two types of data structures. Some programmers use the term to describe a standard array data type composed of elements that are instances of objects of a given class. It can also be an encapsulated class array object, also known as a wrapper object, used in place of a scalar array to provide a variety of methods for use in array management. While there may be more complex functionality, the wrapper array class is actually no different in concept from wrapper objects for other scalar data types such as integers or characters. In both cases, the structure can only be used in the context of an object-oriented programming language that supports classes.
The first definition of a class array identifies it as a standard array data type declared to hold objects instantiated by a single specific class. This is commonly done when holding an array of objects, especially when the maximum number of objects is known so that the array isn’t declared with too many elements. The polymorphic mechanisms in object-oriented programming mean that using an array of classes can be very dynamic, because it can contain a generic superclass, allowing a variety of subclasses to be kept as elements despite their different implementations. A complication when using an array of classes, however, can arise when the number of elements is unknown and grows larger than the array’s defined size, or is very small, leaving wasted memory space allocated with the array. One solution is to use objects of type collection such as vectors or array lists instead of a scalar array which cannot be resized.
The second class array definition is an object that contains a scalar array but also provides a set of methods for manipulating and modifying the array. Some languages implement very efficient sorting and searching algorithms inside a class array wrapper. Another advantage of using an array implemented as a class is that the class can be easily passed to and modified by different functions and methods, especially if the base array class is descended from a generic object class. The class array is often the basis for other types of array-based classes in a programming library, such as an array list or a hash table. Also, some languages allow the array class to be extended, which means that a user can override some of the basic methods with more specialized implementations while retaining the core functionality of the class.
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