Array Insertion at Middle Index in DSA C - Build from Scratch

Array Insertion at Middle Index

📖 Scenario: You are managing a list of daily temperatures recorded in an array. Sometimes, a new temperature reading arrives that needs to be inserted exactly in the middle of the current list to keep the order balanced.

🎯 Goal: Build a program that inserts a new temperature value into the middle of an existing array and then prints the updated array.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an integer array called temps with exactly 5 values: 23, 25, 22, 24, 26

Create an integer variable called new_temp and set it to 27

Write code to insert new_temp into the middle index of temps, shifting elements to the right

Print the updated array elements separated by spaces

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

In real life, inserting data into the middle of a list is common when managing ordered records like temperature logs, event schedules, or priority queues.

💼 Career

Understanding how to manipulate arrays and insert elements is a fundamental skill for software developers working with low-level data structures, embedded systems, or performance-critical applications.

1

Create the initial array

Create an integer array called temps with these exact values: 23, 25, 22, 24, 26

DSA C

# Create the array temps with 5 values
// Your code here

Hint

Use int temps[6] = {23, 25, 22, 24, 26}; to create the array with space for one extra element.

2

Add the new temperature variable

Create an integer variable called new_temp and set it to 27

DSA C

#include 

int main() {
    int temps[6] = {23, 25, 22, 24, 26};
    // Create new_temp variable
    // Your code here
    return 0;
}

Hint

Declare int new_temp = 27; inside main().

3

Insert the new temperature at the middle index

Write code to insert new_temp into the middle index 2 of temps, shifting elements from index 2 to the right

DSA C

#include 

int main() {
    int temps[6] = {23, 25, 22, 24, 26};
    int new_temp = 27;
    // Insert new_temp at index 2
    // Your code here
    return 0;
}

Hint

Shift elements from the end to index 3 to make space at index 2, then assign new_temp to temps[2].

4

Print the updated array

Use a for loop with variable i from 0 to 5 to print each element of temps separated by spaces

DSA C

#include 

int main() {
    int temps[6] = {23, 25, 22, 24, 26};
    int new_temp = 27;
    for (int i = 5; i > 2; i--) {
        temps[i] = temps[i - 1];
    }
    temps[2] = new_temp;
    // Print the updated array
    // Your code here
    return 0;
}

Hint

Use printf inside a loop to print each element with a space, then print a newline.