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javascriptscopeecmascript-6varlet

What is the difference between "let" and "var"?


ECMAScript 6 introduced the let statement.

I've heard that it's described as a local variable, but I'm still not quite sure how it behaves differently than the var keyword.

What are the differences? When should let be used instead of var?


Solution

  • Scoping rules

    The main difference is scoping rules. Variables declared by var keyword are scoped to the immediate function body (hence the function scope) while let variables are scoped to the immediate enclosing block denoted by { } (hence the block scope).

    function run() {
      var foo = "Foo";
      let bar = "Bar";
    
      console.log(foo, bar); // Foo Bar
    
      {
        var moo = "Mooo"
        let baz = "Bazz";
        console.log(moo, baz); // Mooo Bazz
      }
    
      console.log(moo); // Mooo
      console.log(baz); // ReferenceError
    }
    
    run();

    The reason why let keyword was introduced to the language was function scope is confusing and was one of the main sources of bugs in JavaScript.

    Take a look at this example from another Stack Overflow question:

    var funcs = [];
    // let's create 3 functions
    for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
      // and store them in funcs
      funcs[i] = function() {
        // each should log its value.
        console.log("My value: " + i);
      };
    }
    for (var j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
      // and now let's run each one to see
      funcs[j]();
    }

    My value: 3 was output to console each time funcs[j](); was invoked since anonymous functions were bound to the same variable.

    People had to create immediately invoked functions to capture correct values from the loops but that was also hairy.

    Hoisting

    Variables declared with var keyword are hoisted and initialized which means they are accessible in their enclosing scope even before they are declared, however their value is undefined before the declaration statement is reached:

    function checkHoisting() {
      console.log(foo); // undefined
      var foo = "Foo";
      console.log(foo); // Foo
    }
    
    checkHoisting();

    let variables are hoisted but not initialized until their definition is evaluated. Accessing them before the initialization results in a ReferenceError. The variable is said to be in the temporal dead zone from the start of the block until the declaration statement is processed.

    function checkHoisting() {
      console.log(foo); // ReferenceError
      let foo = "Foo";
      console.log(foo); // Foo
    }
    
    checkHoisting();

    Creating global object property

    At the top level, let, unlike var, does not create a property on the global object:

    var foo = "Foo"; // globally scoped
    let bar = "Bar"; // globally scoped but not part of the global object
    
    console.log(window.foo); // Foo
    console.log(window.bar); // undefined

    Redeclaration

    In strict mode, var will let you re-declare the same variable in the same scope while let raises a SyntaxError.

    'use strict';
    var foo = "foo1";
    var foo = "foo2"; // No problem, 'foo1' is replaced with 'foo2'.
    
    let bar = "bar1"; 
    let bar = "bar2"; // SyntaxError: Identifier 'bar' has already been declared