Although you’ve been using arrays as built-in types throughout this chapter, an array is actually an object of type System.Array. Arrays in C# thus provide you with the best of both worlds: easy-to-use syntax underpinned with an actual class definition so that instances of an array have access to the methods and properties of System.Array. You’ve seen the Length property of arrays used several times already. Some of the other important methods and properties appear in Table 10-1.
Table 10-1. System.Array methods and properties
Method or property
Purpose
BinarySearch( )
Overloaded public static method that searches a one-dimensional sorted array
Clear( )
Public static method that sets a range of elements in the array either to zero or to a null reference, depending on the element type
Copy( )
Overloaded public static method that copies a section of one array to another array
CreateInstance( )
Overloaded public static method that instantiates a new instance of an array
IndexOf( )
Overloaded public static method that returns the index (offset) of the first instance of a value in a one-dimensional array
LastIndexOf( )
Overloaded public static method that returns the index of the last instance of a value in a one-dimensional array
Reverse( )
Overloaded public static method that reverses the order of the elements in a one-dimensional array
Sort( )
Overloaded public static method that sorts the values in a one-dimensional array
Length
Public property that returns the length of the array
