Visual Basic® .NET Unleashed

Using Arrays

Since about 1990, when C++ began gaining popularity, it has been a recommended practice to encapsulate arrays of memory in a class. Storing arrays of data in a class allows the array to perform memory and bounds checking in conjunction with the class and behind the scenes.

Using an unadorned array requires that you manage bounds checking and reallocation of memory (using ReDim). On occasion you may want to use the new array class, but for most new code you will probably find ArrayList easier to use and less error-prone. ArrayList is covered in the section “Working with New Abstract Data Types.”

Arrays Are Instances of System.Array

All arrays are instances of System.Array. All members of System.Array were listed in the last chapter ...