JavaScript: Scope of a Variable

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Now when it comes to javascript we have two different types of scopes.

  1. Global Scope.
  2. Local Scope.

Now what these scopes mean is basically where we can use variables in our code.

Global Scope:

var number = 20;        //Declared globally/root of the code

function calc()
{
    return number
}
console.log(calc())

Output:

20
  • As you can see the variable number is declared at the root of the code where it can be accessed anywhere within the code.
  • Now we wrote a basic function called calc and returned the number variable within it.
  • It can get the variable value with ease without any issues.

Local Scope:

function calc()
{
    var number = 20;
    return number
}
console.log(calc())

Output:

20
  • Now here as you can see the variable is declared inside the block of the function and will still be accessible.
  • Because we are accessing it via the function name in console.log.

Now, let's try to access it outside the scope of calc function:

function calc()
{
var number = 20;
    return number
}
console.log(number)

Output:

ReferenceError: number is not defined
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\arili\Desktop\JS Codes\Functions.js:26:13)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1072:14)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1101:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:937:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:778:12)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (internal/modules/run_main.js:76:12)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:47
  • Now what we did here is we tried to fetch the number variable which is within from outside the scope of the calc function.
  • Now the reason behind this error is that the variable can only be accessed with the scope of the function body either or by calling the calc function itself.
  • It's that simple now we call this the local scope.

Verdict:

  • So to put it simply global scope will only let you access the variable within its block by calling its function name.
  • Whereas local scope is present outside the root of the code where it can be used everywhere.
  • Block scoped is something similar to global but here anything other than let, const can be accessed outside the block.
{
let name = "Trinity"
const age = 21
}
//cannot be accessed



{
var name = "neo"
}
//can be accessed

There's another thing about global to it's called Automatically Global so they say:

calc2();
console.log(nameb)
function calc2(){
    nameb='ash'    
}

Output:

ash
  • Here the variable is not declared inside the function so we call upon that function globally outside and as it is without any declaration within the scope body.
  • The variable value can be accessed outside as well.