What Is the Name for a Ruby Data Structure That Uses an Integer Index?

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Scott Campbell

What Is the Name for a Ruby Data Structure That Uses an Integer Index?

In Ruby, the name for a data structure that uses an integer index is an Array. An array is a collection of objects, each identified by an index. The index is an integer value that represents the position of the object within the array.

Introduction to Arrays in Ruby

An array is one of the most fundamental data structures in Ruby. It provides a way to store and organize multiple objects under a single variable name. Each object within an array is assigned a unique integer index starting from 0.

Creating Arrays

To create an array in Ruby, you can use the following syntax:

my_array = []

This creates an empty array named “my_array.” You can also populate the array with initial values by placing them within square brackets, like this:

my_array = [1, 2, 3]

The above code creates an array with three elements: 1, 2, and 3.

Accessing Array Elements

You can access individual elements in an array using their respective indices. The first element has an index of 0, the second element has an index of 1, and so on.

To access an element at a specific index, you can use square brackets:

puts my_array[0]

The above code will output “1” since it retrieves the element at index 0 from “my_array. “

Modifying Array Elements

You can modify existing elements in an array by assigning new values to their respective indices. For example:

my_array[1] = 5

The above code will replace the element at index 1 with the value 5.

Adding and Removing Elements

You can add elements to an array using various methods. The most common method is by using the “push” or “<<" operator:

my_array.push(4)
my_array << 6

The above code will add the values 4 and 6 to the end of “my_array.”

To remove elements from an array, you can use methods like “pop” or “delete_at.” The “pop” method removes and returns the last element of the array, while “delete_at” removes an element at a specific index:

my_array.pop
my_array.delete_at(1)

Conclusion

In Ruby, the name for a data structure that uses an integer index is an Array. Arrays are widely used to organize and manipulate collections of objects in Ruby programs. They provide efficient ways to access, modify, add, and remove elements based on their integer indices.

  • An array is a data structure that uses an integer index.
  • You can create arrays using square brackets.
  • Access individual elements using their indices.
  • Modify array elements by assigning new values.
  • Add elements with “push” or “<<" operator, remove with "pop" or "delete_at".

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