---
title: "Using Arrays (C++) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "11/04/2016"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: 
  - "devlang-cpp"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "language-reference"
dev_langs: 
  - "C++"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "arrays [C++]"
ms.assetid: 7818a7fe-7e82-4881-a3d1-7d25162b7fc7
caps.latest.revision: 10
author: "mikeblome"
ms.author: "mblome"
manager: "ghogen"
translation.priority.ht: 
  - "cs-cz"
  - "de-de"
  - "es-es"
  - "fr-fr"
  - "it-it"
  - "ja-jp"
  - "ko-kr"
  - "pl-pl"
  - "pt-br"
  - "ru-ru"
  - "tr-tr"
  - "zh-cn"
  - "zh-tw"
---
# Using Arrays (C++)
You can access individual elements of an array by using the array subscript operator (`[ ]`). If a one-dimensional array is used in an expression that has no subscript, the array name evaluates to a pointer to the first element in the array.  
  
```  
// using_arrays.cpp  
int main() {  
   char chArray[10];  
   char *pch = chArray;   // Evaluates to a pointer to the first element.  
   char   ch = chArray[0];   // Evaluates to the value of the first element.  
   ch = chArray[3];   // Evaluates to the value of the fourth element.  
}  
```  
  
 When you use multidimensional arrays, you can use various combinations in expressions.  
  
```  
// using_arrays_2.cpp  
// compile with: /EHsc /W1  
#include <iostream>  
using namespace std;  
int main() {  
   double multi[4][4][3];   // Declare the array.  
   double (*p2multi)[3];  
   double (*p1multi);  
  
   cout << multi[3][2][2] << "\n";   // C4700 Use three subscripts.  
   p2multi = multi[3];               // Make p2multi point to  
                                     // fourth "plane" of multi.  
   p1multi = multi[3][2];            // Make p1multi point to  
                                     // fourth plane, third row  
                                     // of multi.  
}  
```  
  
 In the preceding code, `multi` is a three-dimensional array of type `double`. The `p2multi` pointer points to an array of type `double` of size three. In this example, the array is used with one, two, and three subscripts. Although it is more common to specify all subscripts, as in the `cout` statement, it is sometimes useful to select a specific subset of array elements, as shown in the statements that follow `cout`.  
  
## See Also  
 [Arrays](../cpp/arrays-cpp.md)