function - What is the scope of variables in JavaScript?

What is the scope of variables in javascript? Do they have the same scope inside as opposed to outside a function? Or does it even matter? Also, where are the variables stored if they are defined globally?

Answer

I think about the best I can do is give you a bunch of examples to study.
Javascript programmers are practically ranked by how well they understand scope.
It can at times be quite counter-intuitive.

1. A globally-scoped variable

   
   
   

   // global scope
   
   var a = 1;
   
   function one() {
     alert(a); // alerts '1'
   }
   




2. Local scope

   
   
   

   // global scope
   var a = 1;
   
   
   function two(a) { // passing (a) makes it local scope
     alert(a); // alerts the given argument, not the global value of '1'
   }
   
   // local scope again
   function three() {
     var a = 3;
     alert(a); // alerts '3'
   }
   
   




3. Intermediate: No such thing as block scope in JavaScript (ES5; ES6 introduces let and const)

   
   
   

   a.

   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   function four() {
     if (true) {
       var a = 4;
   
     }
   
     alert(a); // alerts '4', not the global value of '1'
   }
   

   
   
   

   b.

   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   
   function one() {
     if (true) {
       let a = 4;
     }
   
     alert(a); // alerts '1' because the 'let' keyword uses block scoping
   }
   

   
   
   

   c.

   
   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   function one() {
     if (true) {
       const a = 4;
     }
   
     alert(a); // alerts '1' because the 'const' keyword also uses block scoping as 'let'
   }
   
   




4. Intermediate: Object properties

   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   function Five() {
     this.a = 5;
   }
   
   alert(new Five().a); // alerts '5'
   
   




5. Advanced: Closure

   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   var six = (function() {
     var a = 6;
   
     return function() {
       // JavaScript "closure" means I have access to 'a' in here,
   
       // because it is defined in the function in which I was defined.
       alert(a); // alerts '6'
     };
   })();
   




6. Advanced: Prototype-based scope resolution

   
   
   

   var a = 1;
   
   function seven() {
   
     this.a = 7;
   }
   
   // [object].prototype.property loses to
   // [object].property in the lookup chain. For example...
   
   // Won't get reached, because 'a' is set in the constructor above.
   seven.prototype.a = -1;
   
   // Will get reached, even though 'b' is NOT set in the constructor.
   
   seven.prototype.b = 8;
   
   alert(new seven().a); // alerts '7'
   alert(new seven().b); // alerts '8'
   

   
   
   

   ---




7. Global+Local: An extra complex Case

   
   
   

   var x = 5;
   
   
   (function () {
       console.log(x);
       var x = 10;
       console.log(x); 
   })();
   

   
   
   

   This will print out undefined and 10 rather than 5 and 10 since JavaScript always moves variable declarations (not initializations) to the top of the scope, making the code equivalent to:

   
   
   
   

   var x = 5;
   
   (function () {
       var x;
       console.log(x);
       x = 10;
       console.log(x); 
   })();
   




8. Catch clause-scoped variable

   
   
   
   

   var e = 5;
   console.log(e);
   try {
       throw 6;
   } catch (e) {
       console.log(e);
   }
   console.log(e);
   

   
   
   
   

   This will print out 5, 6, 5. Inside the catch clause e shadows global and local variables. But this special scope is only for the caught variable. If you write var f; inside the catch clause, then it's exactly the same as if you had defined it before or after the try-catch block.