What defines an "array" in programming?

An array in programming is defined as a collection of items stored at contiguous memory locations. This characteristic means that all the elements in an array are stored sequentially in memory, which allows for efficient access and manipulation of the data. Arrays provide a structured way to organize and manage similar types of data, enabling the use of indexing to retrieve or modify individual elements easily.

The ability to access elements using an index is made possible because the contiguous allocation allows the program to calculate the memory address of each item based on the starting address of the array and the index of the item being accessed. This efficient storage and access mechanism is one of the primary reasons arrays are widely used in programming for managing collections of related data.

In contrast, the other options describe characteristics that do not align with the definition of an array. For example, a single data element that can change during execution does not encapsulate the concept of an array, which involves multiple elements. A collection of data elements stored independently does not accurately reflect how arrays allocate memory, as arrays require contiguous space. Lastly, a variable holding a fixed size of characters does not encapsulate the broader category of what arrays can represent, as arrays can hold various data types and do not have to be limited to characters.