memory efficient sub array

[nathand]

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@jyang72211 wrote:

Each element of the 1D array contains a file path name.  For my application, the array won't be too big, just a 2000 at most.  However, I just want to know what's the best way to handle the memory. 

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Keep in mind that building a new array of paths doesn't mean you're creating a new copy of every path.  You're just creating an additional pointer (4 or 8 bytes depending on whether you're on a 32 or 64 bit platform) to the path, unless you're modifying the path somehow before inserting it in the new array.

[Nathan_S]

Just throwing this out there: if a contiguous space of memory were a concern (still not 100% sure from reading the above posts what you're looking for), you can try storing data in a queue and taking it out as you want.  If I'm not mistaken, a queue doesn't store the data contiguously in memory.  Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it can be a help if a large single space of memory is the concern.