- C++ Programming Examples
- C++ Programming Examples
- C++: Hello World
- C++: Get Input
- C++: Print Integer
- C++: Add two numbers
- C++: Add, Sub, Multiply, Div
- C++: Add Digits
- C++: Find Average and Percentage
- C++: Find Arithmetic Mean
- C++: Sum of n Natural Numbers
- C++: Sum of n Numbers
- C++: Square's Area and Perimeter
- C++: Rectangle's Area and Perimeter
- C++: Triangle's Area and Perimeter
- C++: Area and Circumference
- C++: Find Simple Interest
- C++: Fahrenheit to Celsius
- C++: Celsius to Fahrenheit
- C++: Print Prime Numbers
- C++: Reverse a Number
- C++: Swap Two Numbers
- C++: Print Multiplication Table
- C++: Find Factorial of a Number
- C++: Find Factors of a Number
- C++: Find HCF and LCM
- C++: Create a Calculator
- C++: Count Digits in a Number
- C++: First and Last Digit Sum
- C++: Product of Number Digits
- C++: Sum of Squares of Digits
- C++: Interchange Digits of Number
- C++ if-else Programs
- C++: Check Even or Odd
- C++: Check Prime or Not
- C++: Check Alphabet or Not
- C++: Check Vowel or Not
- C++: Check Leap Year or Not
- C++: Check Reverse equals Original
- C++: Check Perfect Number
- C++: Check Palindrome or Not
- C++: Check Armstrong or Not
- C++: Divisibility Test
- C++: Find Labor Wage
- C++: Find Discounted Price
- C++: Find Shipping Charge
- C++: Find Telephone Bills
- C++: Calculate Student Grade
- C++: Largest of Two Numbers
- C++: Largest of Three Numbers
- C++ Number Conversion
- C++: Decimal to Binary
- C++: Decimal to Octal
- C++: Decimal to Hexadecimal
- C++: Binary to Decimal
- C++: Binary to Octal
- C++: Binary to Hexadecimal
- C++: Octal to Decimal
- C++: Octal to Binary
- C++: Octal to Hexadecimal
- C++: Hexadecimal to Decimal
- C++: Hexadecimal to Binary
- C++: Hexadecimal to Octal
- C++ Pattern Programs
- C++: Pattern Programs
- C++: Print Diamond Pattern
- C++: Print Floyd's Triangle
- C++: Print Pascal's Triangle
- C++ Array Programs
- C++: 1D Array Program
- C++: Linear Search
- C++: Binary Search
- C++: Largest Element in an Array
- C++: Smallest Element in an Array
- C++: Find Second Largest Element
- C++: Find Second Smallest Element
- C++: Sum of All Elements
- C++: Multiply All Elements
- C++: Element in Even Position
- C++: Element in Odd Position
- C++: Print Even Numbers in Array
- C++: Print Odd Numbers in Array
- C++: Count Even or Odd Numbers
- C++: Sum of Even or Odd Numbers
- C++: Count Positive, Negative, Zero
- C++: Reverse an Array
- C++: Insert an Element
- C++: Delete an Element
- C++: Merge two Arrays
- C++: Bubble Sort
- C++: Selection Sort
- C++: Insertion Sort
- C++: Common Elements
- C++: 2D Array Programs
- C++: Add Two Matrices
- C++: Subtract Two Matrices
- C++: Transpose Matrix
- C++: Multiply Two Matrices
- C++: 3D Array Programs
- C++ String Programs
- C++: Print String
- C++: Find String Length
- C++: Compare Two Strings
- C++: Copy String
- C++: String Concatenation
- C++: Reverse a String
- C++: Delete Vowels from a String
- C++: Delete a Word from a String
- C++: Count Characters in a String
- C++: Count Words in a String
- C++: Frequency of Words
- C++: Remove Spaces from Strings
- C++: Sort a String
- C++: Uppercase to Lowercase
- C++: Lowercase to Uppercase
- C++: Swap Two Strings
- C++: Check the Anagram or Not
- C++: Capitalize All Words in a String
- C++: Get Numbers from a String
- C++ File Programs
- C++: Read a File
- C++: Write Content to a File
- C++: Append Data to a File
- C++: Read and Display File
- C++: Copy a File
- C++: Merge Two Files
- Count Characters in a File
- C++: Capitalize Every Word
- C++: List Files in Directory
- C++: Delete a File
- C++: Encrypt and Decrypt a File
- C++ Misc Programs
- C++: Print ASCII Value
- C++: Add Binary Numbers
- C++: Generate Random Numbers
- C++: Print a Smiling Face
- C++: Days into Years and Months
- C++: Add Two Numbers using Pointer
- C++: Print Fibonacci Series
- C++: Generate Armstrong Numbers
- C++: Find nCr and nPr
- C++: Get IP Address
- C++: Print Date and Time
- C++: Shutdown and Restart Computer
- C++ Programming Tutorial
- C++ Tutorial
C++ Program to Find the Smallest Number in an Array
In this article, you will learn and get code to find and print the smallest element (number) from an array in C++. The size and elements of the array must be entered by the user at run-time. Here is the list of approaches used to create the program:
- Find the smallest number in an array without a function or pointer
- Find the smallest number in an array using a pointer
- Find the smallest number in an array using a user-defined function
Find the smallest number in an array
To find the smallest element or number in an array in C++ programming, you have to ask the user to enter the size and elements of the array. Now find and print the smallest one as shown in the program given below:
The question is, "Write a program in C++ to find and print the smallest number in an array." Here is its answer:
#include<iostream> using namespace std; int main() { int arr[100], tot, i, s; cout<<"Enter the Size for Array: "; cin>>tot; cout<<"Enter "<<tot<<" Array Elements: "; for(i=0; i<tot; i++) cin>>arr[i]; s = arr[0]; for(i=1; i<tot; i++) { if(s>arr[i]) s = arr[i]; } cout<<"\nSmallest Number = "<<s; cout<<endl; return 0; }
This program was built and runs under the Code::Blocks IDE. Here is its sample run:
Now supply any number, say 5, as the array size, and then enter 5 numbers as the 5 array elements. After supplying all these things, press the ENTER key to find and print the smallest number from the array, as shown in the snapshot given below:
The following statement:
s = arr[0];
It is supposed that the number at the 0th (very first) index is the smallest number. And then we've compared all the numbers at the remaining indexes one by one with the number at s. If s's value is found to be greater than any number at any index, then we've initialized that number as the new value of s.
The dry run of the above program goes like this:
- When the user enters the size, say 5, for the array, then it gets stored in tot. So tot=6
- Now we've created a for loop that executes six times. That is, the loop variable, i, starts from 0 to 5.
- So at first, the first number gets stored in arr[0], the second number in arr[1], and so on.
- Therefore, if the user enters 5 numbers as 5, 4, 3, 1, 2, then it gets stored in arr[] in this way:
- arr[0]=5
- arr[1]=4
- arr[2]=3
- arr[3]=1
- arr[4]=2
- Now consider the statement that assumes the first number is the smallest number. In other words, arr[0] or 5 is initialized to s.
- Now, using the second for loop, we've compared the value of s with each and every element of arr.
- That is, at first execution of the forloop , 1 gets initialized to i, and the condition i<tot or 1<5 evaluates to be true, therefore program flow goes inside the loop, and the condition s>arr[i] or 5>arr[1] or 5>4 evaluates to be true, therefore program flow goes inside the if's body, and the value of arr[i] or arr[1] or 4 gets initialized to s.
- Now the program flow goes to the update part of the for loop and increments the value of i. So i=2
- Now the condition of the for loop gets evaluated again. Before entering the body of the loop, condition must be evaluated to be true each time.
- This time again, the condition i<tot or 2<5 evaluates to be true, therefore the program flow again goes inside the loop.
- This process continues until the condition is evaluated as false.
- After exiting the loop, the variable s holds the smallest number from the given list of numbers stored in arr.
- So just print the value of s as the smallest number from an array entered by the user.
Using the pointer, find the smallest number in the array
Now, let's make the same program with pointers. The & is known as the address of operator, where * is called as the value at operator.
#include<iostream> using namespace std; int main() { int arr[100], tot, i, s, *ptr; cout<<"Enter the Size for Array: "; cin>>tot; cout<<"Enter "<<tot<<" Array Elements: "; for(i=0; i<tot; i++) cin>>arr[i]; ptr = &arr[0]; s = *ptr; while(*ptr) { if(s>(*ptr)) s = *ptr; ptr++; } cout<<"\nSmallest Number = "<<s; cout<<endl; return 0; }
This program produces the same output as the previous program. after executing the following statement:
ptr = &arr[0];
The address of the number present at the 0th index in arr[] gets initialized to ptr. The *ptr indicates the value present at address, which is stored in ptr. And the ptr++ is used to shift to the next index of the same array, arr[].
Find the smallest number in an array using a function
This is the last program on finding the smallest element in an array. This program is created using a user-defined function named findSmallest(). This function takes an array and its size as its arguments. and returns the smallest number from the array (passed as its first argument).
#include<iostream> using namespace std; int findSmallest(int [], int); int main() { int arr[100], tot, i, s; cout<<"Enter the Size for Array: "; cin>>tot; cout<<"Enter "<<tot<<" Array Elements: "; for(i=0; i<tot; i++) cin>>arr[i]; s = findSmallest(arr, tot); cout<<"\nSmallest Number = "<<s; cout<<endl; return 0; } int findSmallest(int a[], int t) { int s, i; s = a[0]; for(i=1; i<t; i++) { if(s>a[i]) s = a[i]; } return s; }
Here is its sample run with user input, 6 as array size, and 10, 8, 2, 5, 7, and 12 as 6 array elements:
The same program in different languages
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