Linear Search

Linear search checks each element until it finds the target or reaches the end.

linear_search.c

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    int values[5] = {4, 7, 9, 12, 15};
    int target = ;
    int found = -1;

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        if (values[i] == target) {
            found = i;
            break;
        }
    }

    printf("found=%d\n", found);
    return 0;
}

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    int values[5] = {4, 7, 9, 12, 15};
    int target = ;
    int found = -1;

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        if (values[i] == target) {
            found = i;
            break;
        }
    }

    printf("found=%d\n", found);
    return 0;
}

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    int values[5] = {4, 7, 9, 12, 15};
    int target = ;
    int found = -1;

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        if (values[i] == target) {
            found = i;
            break;
        }
    }

    printf("found=%d\n", found);
    return 0;
}

target The target value is compared with each array element.

found index The result stays `-1` until a matching element is found.