What is the starting index for an array in Java?

In Java, arrays are zero-indexed, meaning that the first element of an array is accessed with the index 0. This is a foundational concept in programming, particularly in languages such as Java, C, and C++, where the index of the first element in a collection, like an array, begins at 0 rather than 1.

When you declare an array in Java, the first element is placed at index 0, the second at index 1, and so forth. For example, if you create an array named numbers with three elements, you can access the first element using numbers[0]. This zero-based indexing allows for efficient memory management and is a common convention across many programming languages.

The idea that arrays could start at 1 or any other number is not applicable in Java, as it strictly adheres to the zero-based indexing rule. Thus, understanding that the starting index is 0 is crucial for proper manipulation of arrays in Java programming.