What do you call an array that contains both rows and columns?

An array that contains both rows and columns is referred to as a two-dimensional array. This type of array allows for the organization of data in a grid-like format, enabling the storage and manipulation of sets of related data points in a structured manner. Each element in a two-dimensional array can be accessed using two indices: one for the row and one for the column.

For example, in a two-dimensional array representing a table, you can think of the rows as different entries or records, while the columns represent different attributes or properties of those entries. This structure is particularly useful in various applications, such as representing matrices in mathematics or organizing data for computational tasks, where relationships between data points are essential to the analysis.

While the term "matrix" is often closely associated with two-dimensional arrays in mathematical contexts, a two-dimensional array is the more general term used in programming. The other terms, such as one-dimensional array or simply array, do not accurately reflect the structure that has both rows and columns. A one-dimensional array, for example, only contains a single list of elements, lacking the two-dimensional organization.