What is the difference between C++ arrays and std::array?

Question

Accepted Answer

**C-style array:**
- No bounds checking
- Decays to pointer
- No size information
- No iterator support

```cpp
int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
arr[10] = 0; // no error, undefined behavior
```

**std::array:**
- Bounds checking with `.at()`
- Knows its size
- STL-compatible iterators
- Copyable and assignable

```cpp
std::array<int, 5> arr = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
arr.at(10); // throws std::out_of_range
std::cout << arr.size(); // 5
```

**Always prefer std::array** — it's safer and more feature-rich.

C++: What is the difference between C++ arrays and std::array?