Develop Reference

Access variable in if block

var func = function () {
var i: number = 0;
if (i == 0) {
var y: number = 1;
}
document.body.innerHTML = y.toString(); // js/ts should complain me in this line
};
func(); // output: 1
As you can see, I've declared variable y inside if block. So, I think it couldn't be referenced outside the scope.
But, when I've tried to run the code, the output is 1.
Is it an issue in typescript/javascript?

Variables in Javascript are hoisted, meaning that var y is moved to the top of the function as if it were declared there.
Initialization, however is not hoisted, so if you change i to be something other than 0, the variable y will still exist, but it will have the value undefined.
This means that the function is exactly equivalent to:
var func = function () {
var i: number = 0;
var y: number;
if (i == 0) {
y = 1;
}
document.body.innerHTML = y.toString(); // js/ts should complain me in this line
};
To get the behavior you expect, you need to use let, which is a part of ECMAScript 2015 (ES6). It is block scoped, as you expect. It will also effectively work so that it is accessible only from the point of definition onwards, which is also probably as you would expect.

If you re-declare a JavaScript variable, it will not lose its value.
The second reference might pave way for a new variable syntax. Actually if you recall variable declaration is not neccessary in javascript. Simpe
y=1;
also works.
The second time when you reference y, outside if block, in my opinion, it tries a re-declaration and retains the old value.
Reference - http://www.w3schools.com/js/js_variables.asp
& http://www.w3schools.com/js/js_scope.asp

Javascript has function scope afaik. Any variable declared within a function, should be accessible from anywhere within the function. So, if you have a function checking if i==0, then you can achieve what you are trying to achieve.

This is as it is supposed to be. Javascript scopes by function, not by block. (This does make it unlike many popular languages)
Variables declared like var myVar = 10; will seep into nested functions but not the other way around. Variables declared like myVar = 10; will go global.
I couldn't find anything which suggested that typescript was any different.

Variables declared inside of an if statement are not scoped to the if statement. They're scoped to the current execution context. There's the Global execution context and then when a function is run, it creates it's own execution context. Inside of your function, you created the variables y and i. It doesn't matter that y was created inside of the if statement, because once it runs, y is created in the scope of the function. So then you do y.toString(), which can access y because it's scoped to the function not the if statement. That's why you get the output of 1. This is not an error, it's by design.

Scope of variable in if

function a(){
var x,y,a,b;
var a=2;
var b=2;
if (true) {
var a,b;
b=1;
a = 1;
}
alert(a)
}
a();
Why the result is not 2? I wonder why redeclaration of a and b in if condition does not create a new variable a and b? Is there any rule I can follow?

In javascript, variables declared with var are hoisted to the top of the function. This means that the scope rules you are expecting do not work. This is addressed in the ES6 standard with the let keyword which will scope how you were expecting. See the following site for more info on let. You should note that the ES6 standard is new and is not widely supported. You can use the standard now by using a transpiler such as Babel. You can play with this on playgrounds such as codepen.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/let

"var" will create local variable in current scope, but as the scope in javascript is function level, and in the snippet mentioned we are in the same function, javascript interpreter thinks that variable declaration inside if block is re-declaration of the same variable in the same function scope.

'use strict' not stopping hoisting in function scope

My Problem Lies here I'm learning JavaScript But not new to Programming at all.
I understand hoisting, but with strict mode shouldn't this produce an error and be caught either when 6 is assigned to undeclared a variable or document.getElement... is assigned x this doesn't produce an error so my diagnosis is that hoisting is still going on..which i don't like and want to get rid of with using strict. Using Chrome Version 42.0.2311.152 m as my browser
function strictMode(){
'use strict';
try {
x = 6;
document.getElementById('hoisting').innerHTML = x;
var x;
}
catch(err) {
document.getElementById('error_report').innerHTML =
"There was an error that occured (Were in Strict Mode)" +
" " + err.message;
}
}

Variable declarations (i.e. var x;) are valid for the entire scope they are written in, even if you declare after you assign. This is what is meant by "hoisting": the var x; is hoisted to the beginning of the scope, and the assignment x = 6; is fine because x has been declared somewhere in that scope.
Strict mode does not change any of this. It would throw an error if you omitted the var x; declaration altogether; without strict mode, the variable's scope would implicitly be the global scope.
In ES2015 (a.k.a. ES6), hoisting is avoided by using the let keyword instead of var. (The other difference is that variables declared with let are local to the surrounding block, not the entire function.)

There are some weird things javascript allows that, as someone learning the language, you must learn to combat with good coding practices (simicolons are another good example). In the case of hoisting, it is generally good practice to declare your variables at the top of the scope where they would be hoisted to anyway. As already mentioned, strict mode is not a silver bullet and will not enforce this for you.

Can I use curly braces in javascript to separate sections of code

Here is some sample code. I'd like to know if there is any reason why I shouldn't do this.
//some code
var x = "hello";
{
var y = "nice";
function myfunction() {
//do stuff . . .
}
}
The benefit of doing this I see is being able to organize sections of code in chunks and have auto formatters do some work with that...
In my tests {} does not affect the scope when creating a var or function.

This answer was written in times of earlier JavaScript implementations. While the same rules for var apply, ECMAScript 2015 (aka ES6) introduce the let variable declaration statement, which follows "traditional" block-scoped rules.
Example of let scoping with a Block, which logs "1", "2", "1":
{ let x = 1; console.log(x); { let x = 2; console.log(x) }; console.log(x) }
The MDN Reference on Block summarizes the usage of blocks as:
Important: JavaScript does not have block scope. Variables introduced with a block are scoped to the containing function or script, and the effects of setting them persist beyond the block itself. In other words, block statements do not introduce a scope. Although "standalone" blocks are valid syntax, you do not want to use standalone blocks in JavaScript, because they don't do what you think they do, if you think they do anything like such blocks in C or Java.
As discussed on MDN, the syntax is perfectly valid as { StatementList } (aka Block) is a valid Statement production..
However; and because this is very important: a new block does not introduce a new scope. Only function bodies introduce new scopes. In this case, both the x and y variables have the same scope.
In addition a FunctionDeclaration should appear only as a top-level statement - that is, it must be a statement directly under a Program or Function body, not a Block. In this case the declaration of myfunction is "not reliably portable among implementations".
There is the IIFE (Immediately Invoked Function Expression) pattern which can be used and, while it addresses the technical issues above, I would not recommend it here as it complicates the code. Instead, I would simply create more named functions (named functions can be nested!), perhaps in different modules or objects, as appropriate.
var x = "hello";
;(function () {
// New function, new scope
// "y" is created in scope, "x" is accessible through the scope chain
var y = "nice";
// Now VALID because FunctionDeclaration is top-level of Function
function myfunction() {
}
})(); // Invoke immediately
// No "y" here - not in scope anymore

Realize this is old, but figured I would update for ES2015.
The do have a bit more meaning with let + const as found here https://babeljs.io/docs/learn-es2015/
function f() {
{
let x;
{
// okay, block scoped name
const x = "sneaky";
// error, const
x = "foo";
}
// okay, declared with `let`
x = "bar";
// error, already declared in block
let x = "inner";
}
}

I don't understand the reasoning behind the outermost curly braces, but functions are always written inside curly braces in javascript.
If you are working with other developers they may find the outer curly braces more confusing than helpful and there could be some negative effects : https://web.archive.org/web/20160131174505/http://encosia.com/in-javascript-curly-brace-placement-matters-an-example/

There are probably many reasons NOT to write code this way... readability is #1, as most would find this makes the code harder to read. However, there is technically nothing wrong with coding like this, and if it's easier for you to read, then it should be fine.

I think there will be problems with this convention when you start coding more complex programs. There must be a good reason why people don't code like that other than adding extra lines of code.
But since Javascript doesn't have block scoping, the code will still work.

Is using 'var' to declare variables optional? [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
What is the purpose of the var keyword and when should I use it (or omit it)?
(19 answers)
Closed 7 years ago.
Is "var" optional?
myObj = 1;
same as ?
var myObj = 1;
I found they both work from my test, I assume var is optional. Is that right?

They mean different things.
If you use var the variable is declared within the scope you are in (e.g. of the function). If you don't use var, the variable bubbles up through the layers of scope until it encounters a variable by the given name or the global object (window, if you are doing it in the browser), where it then attaches. It is then very similar to a global variable. However, it can still be deleted with delete (most likely by someone else's code who also failed to use var). If you use var in the global scope, the variable is truly global and cannot be deleted.
This is, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous issues with javascript, and should be deprecated, or at least raise warnings over warnings. The reason is, it's easy to forget var and have by accident a common variable name bound to the global object. This produces weird and difficult to debug behavior.

This is one of the tricky parts of Javascript, but also one of its core features. A variable declared with var "begins its life" right where you declare it. If you leave out the var, it's like you're talking about a variable that you have used before.
var foo = 'first time use';
foo = 'second time use';
With regards to scope, it is not true that variables automatically become global. Rather, Javascript will traverse up the scope chain to see if you have used the variable before. If it finds an instance of a variable of the same name used before, it'll use that and whatever scope it was declared in. If it doesn't encounter the variable anywhere it'll eventually hit the global object (window in a browser) and will attach the variable to it.
var foo = "I'm global";
var bar = "So am I";
function () {
var foo = "I'm local, the previous 'foo' didn't notice a thing";
var baz = "I'm local, too";
function () {
var foo = "I'm even more local, all three 'foos' have different values";
baz = "I just changed 'baz' one scope higher, but it's still not global";
bar = "I just changed the global 'bar' variable";
xyz = "I just created a new global variable";
}
}
This behavior is really powerful when used with nested functions and callbacks. Learning about what functions are and how scope works is the most important thing in Javascript.

Nope, they are not equivalent.
With myObj = 1; you are using a global variable.
The latter declaration create a variable local to the scope you are using.
Try the following code to understand the differences:
external = 5;
function firsttry() {
var external = 6;
alert("first Try: " + external);
}
function secondtry() {
external = 7;
alert("second Try: " + external);
}
alert(external); // Prints 5
firsttry(); // Prints 6
alert(external); // Prints 5
secondtry(); // Prints 7
alert(external); // Prints 7
The second function alters the value of the global variable "external", but the first function doesn't.

There's a bit more to it than just local vs global. Global variables created with var are different than those created without. Consider this:
var foo = 1; // declared properly
bar = 2; // implied global
window.baz = 3; // global via window object
Based on the answers so far, these global variables, foo, bar, and baz are all equivalent. This is not the case. Global variables made with var are (correctly) assigned the internal [[DontDelete]] property, such that they cannot be deleted.
delete foo; // false
delete bar; // true
delete baz; // true
foo; // 1
bar; // ReferenceError
baz; // ReferenceError
This is why you should always use var, even for global variables.

There's so much confusion around this subject, and none of the existing answers cover everything clearly and directly. Here are some examples with comments inline.
//this is a declaration
var foo;
//this is an assignment
bar = 3;
//this is a declaration and an assignment
var dual = 5;
A declaration sets a DontDelete flag. An assignment does not.
A declaration ties that variable to the current scope.
A variable assigned but not declared will look for a scope to attach itself to. That means it will traverse up the food-chain of scope until a variable with the same name is found. If none is found, it will be attached to the top-level scope (which is commonly referred to as global).
function example(){
//is a member of the scope defined by the function example
var foo;
//this function is also part of the scope of the function example
var bar = function(){
foo = 12; // traverses scope and assigns example.foo to 12
}
}
function something_different(){
foo = 15; // traverses scope and assigns global.foo to 15
}
For a very clear description of what is happening, this analysis of the delete function covers variable instantiation and assignment extensively.

var is optional. var puts a variable in local scope. If a variable is defined without var, it is in global scope and not deletable.
edit
I thought that the non-deletable part was true at some point in time with a certain environment. I must have dreamed it.

Check out this Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/GWr6Z/2/
function doMe(){
a = "123"; // will be global
var b = "321"; // local to doMe
alert("a:"+a+" -- b:"+b);
b = "something else"; // still local (not global)
alert("a:"+a+" -- b:"+b);
};
doMe()
alert("a:"+a+" -- b:"+b); // `b` will not be defined, check console.log

They are not the same.
Undeclared variable (without var) are treated as properties of the global object. (Usually the window object, unless you're in a with block)
Variables declared with var are normal local variables, and are not visible outside the function they're declared in. (Note that Javascript does not have block scope)
Update: ECMAScript 2015
let was introduced in ECMAScript 2015 to have block scope.

The var keyword in Javascript is there for a purpose.
If you declare a variable without the var keyword, like this:
myVar = 100;
It becomes a global variable that can be accessed from any part of your script. If you did not do it intentionally or are not aware of it, it can cause you pain if you re-use the variable name at another place in your javascript.
If you declare the variable with the var keyword, like this:
var myVar = 100;
It is local to the scope ({] - braces, function, file, depending on where you placed it).
This a safer way to treat variables. So unless you are doing it on purpose try to declare variable with the var keyword and not without.

Consider this question asked at StackOverflow today:
Simple Javascript question
A good test and a practical example is what happens in the above scenario...
The developer used the name of the JavaScript function in one of his variables.
What's the problem with the code?
The code only works the first time the user clicks the button.
What's the solution?
Add the var keyword before the variable name.

Var doesn't let you, the programmer, declare a variable because Javascript doesn't have variables. Javascript has objects. Var declares a name to an undefined object, explicitly. Assignment assigns a name as a handle to an object that has been given a value.
Using var tells the Javacript interpreter two things:
not to use delegation reverse traversal look up value for the name, instead use this one
not to delete the name
Omission of var tells the Javacript interpreter to use the first-found previous instance of an object with the same name.
Var as a keyword arose from a poor decision by the language designer much in the same way that Javascript as a name arose from a poor decision.
ps. Study the code examples above.

Everything about scope aside, they can be used differently.
console.out(var myObj=1);
//SyntaxError: Unexpected token var
console.out(myObj=1);
//1
Something something statement vs expression

No, it is not "required", but it might as well be as it can cause major issues down the line if you don't. Not defining a variable with var put that variable inside the scope of the part of the code it's in. If you don't then it isn't contained in that scope and can overwrite previously defined variables with the same name that are outside the scope of the function you are in.

I just found the answer from a forum referred by one of my colleague. If you declare a variable outside a function, it's always global. No matter if you use var keyword or not. But, if you declare the variable inside a function, it has a big difference. Inside a function, if you declare the variable using var keyword, it will be local, but if you declare the variable without var keyword, it will be global. It can overwrite your previously declared variables. - See more at: http://forum.webdeveloperszone.com/question/what-is-the-difference-between-using-var-keyword-or-not-using-var-during-variable-declaration/#sthash.xNnLrwc3.dpuf