Understanding the Difference Between let, const, and var in JavaScript (1 Minute Guide)
Itamar Tati
Posted on November 18, 2024
When working with JavaScript, you'll encounter three ways to declare variables: let
, const
, and var
. While they all serve the same purpose, they behave differently in terms of scoping, mutability, and hoisting. Let's break it down quickly:
-
let
:- Block-scoped: Meaning it only exists within the nearest block (like a loop or an
if
statement). - Mutable: The value of a variable declared with
let
can be reassigned.
- Block-scoped: Meaning it only exists within the nearest block (like a loop or an
-
const
:- Block-scoped like
let
. - Immutable: Once a variable is assigned a value with
const
, it cannot be reassigned. However, note that the contents of objects or arrays declared withconst
can still be modified.
- Block-scoped like
-
var
:- Function-scoped: Unlike
let
andconst
,var
is scoped to the nearest function block, or global if declared outside of a function. - Hoisted: Variables declared with
var
are moved to the top of their scope during compilation, potentially leading to unexpected results.
- Function-scoped: Unlike
Which one should you use?
- Use
let
when you need to reassign values. - Use
const
by default for values that shouldn’t change. - Avoid
var
unless you’re dealing with legacy code.
By understanding the nuances of these keywords, you can write cleaner and more predictable code in JavaScript.
💖 💪 🙅 🚩
Itamar Tati
Posted on November 18, 2024
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