SYNOPSIS
        mixed * allocate(int size)
        mixed * allocate(int size, mixed init_value)

        mixed * allocate(int *sizes)
        mixed * allocate(int *sizes, mixed init_value)

DESCRIPTION
        Allocate an array of size elements. The number of elements
        must be >= 0 and not bigger than a system maximum (usually
        1000).

        If <init_value> is given, all array elements will be set
        to this value (if <init_value> is an array or mapping, a shallow
        copy will be created for each element), otherwise they all will be 0.

        In the second form (using an array of sizes instead of one size),
        the efun will allocate a multidimensional array, that is an array
        of arrays.

        Note that this function is hardly needed anymore, because
        arrays can be added by the + operator, and can be constructed
        and initialized by the ({ }) operator. The functions only
        use is to construct big empty arrays.

EXAMPLES
        string *buffer;
        buffer = allocate(50);
        buffer = allocate(50, "");

        buffer = allocate( ({ 2, 3 }) )
          --> ({ ({ 0, 0, 0 }), ({ 0, 0, 0 }) })

HISTORY
        LDMud 3.2.9 added the initialization value and the multi-dimensional
          allocation.

SEE ALSO
        sizeof(E)