Scope of Variables in Go

Prerequisite: Variables in Go Programming Language

The scope of a variable defines the part of the program where that variable is accessible. In Go, all identifiers are lexically scoped, meaning the scope can be determined at compile time. A variable is only accessible within the block of code where it is defined.

Example

package main 
import "fmt"

// Global variable declaration 
var myVariable int = 100 

func main() {
 // Local variable inside the main function 
 var localVar int = 200 
 fmt.Printf("Inside main - Global variable: %d\n", myVariable) 
 fmt.Printf("Inside main - Local variable: %d\n", localVar) 
 display() 
}

func display() {
 fmt.Printf("Inside display - Global variable: %d\n", myVariable) 
}

Syntax

var variableName type = value 

Local Variables

Local variables are declared within a function or a block and are not accessible outside of it. They can also be declared within loops and conditionals but are limited to the block scope.

Example:

200

Global Variables

Global variables are defined outside any function or block, making them accessible throughout the program.

Example:

100

Local Variable Preference

When a local variable shares the same name as a global variable, the local variable takes precedence within its scope.

Example

Local variable takes precedence: 200