What is a variable’s scope?

Short Answer

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Question: What is a variable's scope in programming and briefly explain the two main types of variable scopes with examples. Answer: A variable's scope is the context in a program where a given variable can be accessed or used. It determines which parts of the code can access or modify the variable. The two main types of variable scopes are local and global. Local scope occurs when a variable is declared within a function or a block, and it can only be accessed within that function or block. For example: ```python def some_function(): local_variable = 10 # This variable can only be accessed within this function some_function() ``` Global scope occurs when a variable is declared in the main body of the code, outside of any function or block, making it accessible by any part of the code, including functions and blocks. For example: ```python global_variable = 20 # This variable can be accessed by any part of the code def some_function(): print(global_variable) # This function can access the global variable some_function() ``` Understanding the difference between local and global scope is important for writing clean and maintainable code.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Variable's Scope

Variable's scope is the context in a program where a given variable can be accessed or used. Scope determines which parts of the code can access or modify the variable.
02

Types of Variable Scopes

There are two main types of variable scopes: local and global. We will explain each of them, along with examples.
03

Local Scope

A variable declared within a function or a block has local scope, meaning that it can only be accessed within the function or block in which it's declared. Once the function or block is done executing, the local variable goes out of scope, and the memory allocated to it is freed. Here's an example of a local variable in Python: ```python def some_function(): local_variable = 10 # This variable can only be accessed within this function some_function() ```
04

Global Scope

A variable declared in the main body of the code, outside of any function or block, has global scope. This means it can be accessed by any part of the code, including functions and blocks. It's generally not recommended to rely on global variables extensively, as it can lead to unintended consequences and make code difficult to maintain. Here's an example of a global variable in Python: ```python global_variable = 20 # This variable can be accessed by any part of the code def some_function(): print(global_variable) # This function can access the global variable some_function() ``` In summary, a variable's scope determines where in the program it can be accessed and used. Understanding the difference between local and global scope is important for writing clean and maintainable code.

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