Index Notation - Index Notation in Computing

Index Notation in Computing

In several programming languages, index notation is a way of addressing elements of an array. This method is used since it is closest to how it is implemented in assembly language whereby the address of the first element is used as a base, and a multiple (the index) of the element size is used to address inside the array.

For example, if an array of integers is stored in a region of the computer's memory starting at the memory cell with address 3000 (the base address), and each integer occupies four cells (bytes), then the elements of this array are at memory locations 3000, 3004, 3008, ..., 0x3000 + 4(n-1). In general, the address of the ith element of an array with base address b and element size s is b+is.