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JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Creating Reusable Code with Functions Review: Scope

Erin Agobert
Erin Agobert
4,781 Points

I thought that when "var" isn't declared, the script will ignore the function scope and move onto the global scope.

In this case, since "var message = 'Welcome!'; " is in the global scope AND var isn't declared in the function scope, wouldn't the answer become "Welcome"?

Nicholas Grenwalt
Nicholas Grenwalt
46,626 Points

Since var is already declared outside the function and the inner function refers to that same variable since it doesn't use the var keyword inside the function that changes the global message variable when setMessage() is called.

Now if the inner function would have been called with the var keyword then the outer variable message would still be 'Welcome!' since now the inner message variable would refer to a different local variable with the same name.

Hope that makes sense.

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points

No, because the "var" keyword isn't used to declare a new "message" variable inside the function, the function overwrites the value in the global variable.

Erin Agobert
Erin Agobert
4,781 Points

Thank you Steven!