Where does the array index begin in Java?

In Java, arrays are zero-indexed, meaning that the indexing starts at 0. This is a standard convention in many programming languages, including Java, where the first element of an array can be accessed with an index of 0, the second element with an index of 1, and so on.

For instance, if you have an array of integers declared as int[] myArray = new int[5];, the valid indexes for accessing elements in this array range from 0 to 4. Therefore, myArray[0] accesses the first element, while myArray[4] accesses the fifth and last element.

This convention allows for a consistent way to calculate the memory address for accessing elements in arrays, as memory allocation usually starts at the base address (the address of the first element), and is calculated based on the index of the array element multiplied by the size of the data type.

Understanding that array indexing starts at 0 is fundamental in Java, as it influences how loops are constructed and how data is manipulated within arrays.