Jagged Array in Java

Last Updated: 25 September, 2022

A multi-dimensional array that contains the different sizes of child arrays is known as a Jagged array in Java. A jagged array is similar to a multidimensional array in that it stores the data in the form of a table but it has different sizes of columns in a row.

Syntax of Jagged Array:

  
  <Data-Type> array_name[][] = new <Data-Type>[number_of_row][ ];
  
  array_name[0] = new <Data-Type> [number_of_column];
  array_name[1] = new <Data-Type> [number_of_column];
  array_name[2] = new <Data-Type> [number_of_column];
  .
  .
  array _name[number_of_row - 1] = new <Data-Type> [number_of_column];

A pictorial representation of a Jagged array in Java.

Above shown is a two-dimensional Jagged array. In this array, the number of rows is 4, but the columns are different in size.

Let's see the examples of Jagged array in Java as given below:

Example 1: Jagged Array in Java

The given program defines a Jagged array of 3 rows. The column numbers of each row are different.

public class JaggedArrayExample1 {
	public static void main(String[] args) {  
		// Declaring a 2D Array with 3 Rows and odd numbers of column  
        int jaggedArr[][] = new int[3][]; 
        
        jaggedArr[0] = new int[3];  // 1st Row, 3 Columns
        jaggedArr[1] = new int[4];  // 2nd Row, 4 Columns
        jaggedArr[2] = new int[2];  // 3rd Row, 2 Columns
        
        // Initializing a Jagged Array  
        int value = 0;
        
        for (int i=0; i < jaggedArr.length; i++) {  		// ---> Traversing for Rows
            for(int j=0; j < jaggedArr[i].length; j++) {	// ---> Traversing for Columns
            	jaggedArr[i][j] = value++;		          	// ---> Value Assignment
            }
        }
   
        // Here, Traversing Jagged Array and printing the value  
        for (int i=0; i < jaggedArr.length; i++){  
            for (int j=0; j < jaggedArr[i].length; j++){  
                System.out.print(jaggedArr[i][j]+" ");  
            }  
            System.out.println();	// Line break
        }  
    }  
}

Output

0 1 2
3 4 5 6
7 8

As shown in the output, the first row of Jagged array has 3 columns, the second row has 4 columns, and the third row has 2 columns.

Let's see another example of Jagged Array given below.

Example 2: Jagged Array in Java

  public class JaggedArrayExample2 {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      
      // Declaration and Initialization Jagged Array
      int[][] jaggedArr = {
                        {2, 4, 6},
                        {3, 6, 9, 12},
                        {4, 8},
                        {5, 10},
                      };
      
      // Iterating and Printing Jagged Array values
      System.out.println("Printing Jagged Array values:");
      for (int i = 0; i < jaggedArr.length; i++) {
        for (int j = 0; j < jaggedArr[i].length; j++) {
          System.out.printf("%d\t", jaggedArr[i][j]);
        }
        System.out.println(); // Line Break
      }
    }
  }

Output

Printing Jagged Array values:
2 4 6
3 6 9 12
4 8
5 10

Jagged Array in Java

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