Write a function bool equals(int a[], int a_size, int b[], int b_size) that checks whether two arrays have the same elements in the same order.

Step 1: Break Down the Problem

1. We need to create a function that takes two arrays and their sizes as arguments.
2. The function should check if both arrays contain the same elements in the same order.
3. The function should return a boolean value: true if they are equal, and false otherwise.

Step 2: Relevant Concepts

• To compare two arrays, we will loop through each element of both arrays and check for equality.
• If we find any mismatch, we immediately return false.
• If we reach the end of both arrays without finding a mismatch, we return true.

Step 3: Analysis and Detail

1. Initialize a loop that runs through the length of the arrays.
2. Compare each element:
   • If any element at index i in array a does not equal the corresponding element in array b, return false.
3. At the end of the loop, if all elements match, return true.

Step 4: Verify and Summarize

1. Ensure we are checking up to the minimum of a_size and b_size to avoid out-of-bounds errors.
2. Also, if the sizes are different, we can immediately return false.

Final Answer

Here's the complete code for the function in C++:

#include <iostream>

bool equals(int a[], int a_size, int b[], int b_size) {
    // Check if sizes are different
    if (a_size != b_size) {
        return false;
    }
    
    // Compare elements
    for (int i = 0; i < a_size; i++) {
        if (a[i] != b[i]) {
            return false;
        }
    }
    
    return true;
}

This function will effectively check if two integer arrays are equal in terms of both size and contents.