What are the differences between arrays and lists?

What are the differences between arrays and lists?

Arrays and lists are both data structures used to store collections of items, but they have key differences. Arrays have a fixed size and store elements of the same type, while lists can grow dynamically and can hold elements of different types.

Can you give me examples of when to use each?

Sure! Use arrays when you know the number of elements in advance and need fast access. Use lists when you need flexibility in size and type, like when managing a collection of items that can change.

Are there performance differences between them?

Yes, arrays generally offer better performance for accessing elements due to their contiguous memory allocation. Lists, however, may have overhead due to dynamic resizing and can be slower for certain operations.

What programming languages use arrays and lists?

Most programming languages support both arrays and lists. For example, Java has arrays and ArrayLists, Python has lists, and C++ has vectors.