More on Character Arrays (tk10.2)

All character arrays use a pointer

When you declare a character array, the name you give the array is
actually a pointer constant. A pointer constant is like a pointer
variable, except you cannot change what it points to. The strcpy function
is required to assign a string to a character array so it won't get
confused when pointer constants are used.

Using Subscript notation 

C++ allows you to access any character in a character array individually
using a method called subscript notation. Subscript notation looks like
the syntax you use when declaring a character array. Example:

#include <iostream.h>

void main()
{
 char my_word[5] = "book";
 cout << my_word << '\n';
}

Characters of a character array are stored together in memory. The
acharacters of the array are numbered, beginning with zero. So a
five-character array is numbered 0 through 4. Using subscript notation you
can change the first character in the array using a statement like:
my_word[0] = 't';

The first character is changed to a 't' because the first character is at
position 0. The first character in the array is where the pointer points.
To access the fourth character, however, you must move three times.

Be careful when accessing characters in an array individually. The
compiler will not prevent you from going beyond the length of your array.
You could end up changing other data in memory instead of your array. If
the null terminator of your string is changed to another aharacter, the
compiler will allow it and errors will result.

Using the * operator in character arrays

Because characters occupy one byte of memory, it makes sense that the
second character of the array is stored at my_word + 1. Using the
dereferencing operator and this knowledge of how the array is stored, you
can change the fourth character in the array using a statement like:

*(my_word + 3) = 'n';

You can see the subscript notation makes for more readable code than the
deferencing operator. 

Short Answer:

1. The name of a character array is what kind of pointer?

2. Why can't you assign a string to a character array using the assignment
operator?

3. What is the name of the method that allows you to access individual
characters of a character array using brackets([])?

4. Given the character array declared as char A[8] = "ABCDEFG"; what
character is returned by A[2]?

5. Using the same character array you used for question 4, what would be
the resulting string if the following statement were executed?
A[1] = 'X';

Write a program that declares a character array named alphabet and
initializes the array to "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ." In your program,
include a loop that replaces one character of the array at a time with the
lowercase letters a-z. Print the character array to the screen during each
iteration of the loop. Hint: Remember that a character array is an array
of integer values. Use ASCII values to make the changes. Save the source
code file as ALPHABET.CPP.