Multidimensional Array in Java

Last Updated: 28 May, 2022

A multidimensional array is an array of arrays. It has more than one row and it represents the data in a tabular form (Rows and columns).

To access data or elements in the two-dimensional array we use row index and column index.

for example,

// Declaration of Two Dimensional (2D) Array int[][] my2dArray = new int[5][7]; // Declaration of Three Dimensional (3D) Array int[][][] my3dArray = new int[4][7][9];

Two Dimensional (2D) Array represents in tabular form

Example 1: A Java Program of Two Dimensional (2D) Array

public class MultiDimensionalArrayExample1 { public static void main(String[] args) { // 2D Array Declaration and Instantiation, // here 3 is number of rows and 4 is representing number of columns int num[][] = new int[3][4]; //Array Initialization // First Row num[0][0] = 1; num[0][1] = 2; num[0][2] = 3; num[0][3] = 4; // Second Row num[1][0] = 5; num[1][1] = 6; num[1][2] = 7; num[1][3] = 8; // Third Row num[2][0] = 9; num[2][1] = 0; num[2][2] = 1; num[2][3] = 2; // 2D Array Traversing for(int i=0; i<3; i++) { // ---> Traversing for Rows for(int j=0; j<4; j++) { // ---> Traversing for Columns // Printing 2D Array value System.out.print(num[i][j] + " "); } System.out.println(); // Line break } } }

Output

1      2      3      4
5      6      7      8
9      0      1      2

Example 2: Two Dimensional Array - Declaration, Instantiation and Initialization in a single statement

public class MultiDimensionalArrayExample2 { public static void main(String[] args) { // 2D Array Declaration, Instantiation and Initialization int num[][] = {{1,2,3}, {4,5,6}, {7,8,9}}; // 2D Array Traversing for(int i=0; i<3; i++) { // ---> Traversing for Rows for(int j=0; j<3; j++) { // ---> Traversing for Columns // Printing 2D Array value System.out.print(num[i][j] + " "); } System.out.println(); // Line break } } }

Output

1      2      3
4      5      6
7      8      9

Three Dimensional Array in Java

A Three Dimensional array is a group of one or more two-dimensional arrays, but it is a bit more complex than a two-dimensional array.

Example 3 : Three Dimensional Array (3D) in Java

public class ThreeDimensionalArray { public static void main(String[] args) { // 3D Array - Declaration, Instantiation and Initialization in a single statement int[][][] num = { { { 2, 4 }, { 3, 6 } }, { { 4, 8 }, { 7, 9 } } }; for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) for (int j = 0; j < 2; j++) for (int k = 0; k < 2; k++) System.out.println("num[" + i + "][" + j + "]["+ k + "] = " + num[i][j][k]); } }

Output

num[0][0][0] = 2
num[0][0][1] = 4
num[0][1][0] = 3
num[0][1][1] = 6
num[1][0][0] = 4
num[1][0][1] = 8
num[1][1][0] = 7
num[1][1][1] = 9