Scope of Variables
Scope of Variables
Scope of Variables:
The scope of a variable refers to the region of a program where the variable is accessible and can be used. In most programming languages, including Python, variables can have either local or global scope.
In Python, a variable with local scope is a variable that is defined inside a function. This variable can only be accessed within the function and is not visible outside of it. Here’s an example:
def my_function():
x = 10
print(x)
my_function() # Output: 10
print(x) # Output: NameError: name 'x' is not defined
In this example, x is a local variable. It is defined inside the my_function function and can only be accessed within the function. When we call the my_function function, the value of x is printed to the console. However, when we try to print the value of x outside of the function, we get a NameError because x is not defined in the global scope.
On the other hand, a variable with global scope is a variable that is defined outside of any function and can be accessed from anywhere in the program. Here’s an example:
x = 10
def my_function():
print(x)
my_function() # Output: 10
print(x) # Output: 10
In this example, x is a global variable. It is defined outside of any function and can be accessed from anywhere in the program. When we call the my_function function, the value of x is printed to the console. When we print the value of x outside of the function, we get the same value as before.
It’s important to be aware of variable scope when writing code, as it can affect how variables are accessed and used in a program.