Array vs ArrayList

In this article we are going to discuss difference between Array and ArrayList in C#. There are many blogs, articles are available on the internet regarding it but in this particular article I will try to explain to you with as much as simplest and realistic examples so you can get a clear idea of the Array and ArrayList in C#.

Difference Between Array and ArrayList in C#

S.No.	Array	ArrayList
1	Arrays are strongly typed. This means that once you declare an array of a specific type, it can only store items of that type.	ArrayLists are not strongly typed (they are loosely typed). They can store any type of objects as they are of type data.
2	Arrays have a fixed size. You must specify the size when you create an array, and it cannot be changed.	ArrayLists are dynamic and can grow or shrink in size as needed.
3	Less flexible due to fixed size and strong typing.	More flexible because of dynamic sizing and ability to store different types.
4	Use when the number of elements is known and fixed, and type safety is important.	Use when a collection of objects needs to be stored, and flexibility in size and types is required.
5	Because arrays are strongly typed, they provide better performance.	ArrayLists, being loosely typed, involve boxing and unboxing when storing and retrieving value types, which can lead to performance overhead.
6	Example `int[] numbers = new int[3]; numbers[0] = 1; numbers[1] = 2;`	Example `ArrayList arrayList = new ArrayList(); arrayList.Add(1); arrayList.Add("string");`

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Array vs ArrayList

Difference Between Array and ArrayList in C#

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