Arrays — storing many things in order
1 min read
One box is not enough
A variable holds one value. But what if you have 50 students, or 10 products? You do not make 50 variables — you use an array: a single list that holds many values, in order.
let fruits = ["apple", "banana", "mango"];
How do I read one item?
Each item has a position number called an index, and counting starts at 0 — not 1.
console.log(fruits[0]); // apple
console.log(fruits[2]); // mango
console.log(fruits.length); // 3 → how many items
That "starts at 0" thing feels strange at first — everyone stumbles on it. Just remember: the first item is [0].
How do I add or remove items?
fruits.push("orange"); // add to the end
fruits.pop(); // remove the last one
How do I go through every item?
This is where loops and arrays become best friends:
for (let fruit of fruits) {
console.log("I like " + fruit);
}
Whether the list has 3 items or 3000, this exact same code handles all of them.
An array is a numbered shelf: each spot has an index starting at 0, and you can add, remove, or walk through every item.