How to Declare Variables in JavaScript – var, let, and const Explained

Declaring variables is something you'll do all the time in JavaScript. And if you know the variable declaration process inside and out, you'll have the confidence to start writing great JS code.

Through this article, you will learn how to declare and mutate variables using var, let, and const, and you'll get a better understanding of the differences between them.

I will explain each concept in two parts:

• Before ES6 (var statement)
• After ES6 (let and const statements)

Let's dive into these different ways of declaring variables in JavaScript so you know how they work and when to use each one.

How to Declare Variables in JavaScript

When you declare variables in your app, the interpreter moves them to the top of their scope and allocates places in the memory before the execution starts. This process is called Hoisting.

1. How to declare variables with var in JavaScript:

When you declare a variable with var, it is hoisted and initialized in the memory as undefined before the code execution. So, you can access the variable before declaring it, but it returns undefined. This is sometimes called Declaration hoisting.

When the execution starts and reaches the line where the variable is declared, it replaces the value in memory with the value of the variable.

console.log(strawberry); // undefined

var strawberry = '🍓';

console.log(strawberry); // 🍓

Under the hood, the code above behaves like this:

var strawberry;

console.log(strawberry); // undefined

strawberry = '🍓';

console.log(strawberry); // 🍓

So we can use the strawberry variable before the declaration, but it returns undefined.

With this behavior, the program runs without errors. But in some cases, this can lead to unexpected results. We are only human, and on a busy day you might try to access a variable before declaring it. In a complex program, it can be hard to figure out where a strange undefined comes from.

2. How to declare variables with let and const in JavaScript:

When you declare a variable with let or const, it is also hoisted but it's allocated in the memory as uninitialized in the temporal dead zone. You cannot access variables in the temporal dead zone before you've declared them. So, if you try to access a variable before declaring it, the program throws a ReferenceError.

When the program reaches the line where the variable is declared, it initializes it with that value.

console.log(cherry); // ReferenceError

const cherry = "🍒";

console.log(cherry); // 🍒

If you try to run this code snippet, you will see an error similar to the following one because we tried to access a variable in the temporal dead zone.

This is a more predictable behavior than the behavior of the var statement.

So what do var, let, and const have in common?

In the previous two sections, you learned the process for declaring var, let, and const. In this section, we will look at the common concepts.

• You can declare a variable with let and var without a value. In this case, the default value will be undefined.

var tomato;
let potato;

console.log(tomato); // undefined
console.log(potato); // undefined

This behavior is not valid for const because an initial value is required for it. If there is no initial value, the program throws a SyntaxError.

const avocado; // SyntaxError

For the code above, an error gets thrown  like this one:

• You can declare a chain of variables using the same statement. Put the statement at the beginning and separate each variable with a comma. This is valid for var, let, and const.

let number1 = 2, number2 = 23, number3 = 99;

console.log(number1); // 2
console.log(number2); // 23
console.log(number3); // 99

Nowadays, to declare variables, you'll want to use the ES6 statements let and const. You can think of var as the legacy method of doing this.

My recommendation is:

• Use const as the default.
• Use let if the variable will change in the future.
• Don't use var if there is no particular use case.

JavaScript Variables and Scope

According to MDN:

The scope is the current context of execution in which values and expressions are "visible" or can be referenced.

In terms of variables, the scope is where certain variables are available. We can access variables that have been declared in a parent scope in a child scope, but it doesn't work the other way around.

Global Scope

Global Scope is the main scope that covers all the scopes in a script. Variables declared in the global scope are available in all scopes.

// Global Scope

const grapes = "🍇";

// Functional Scope
function logGrapes() {
  console.log(grapes); // 🍇

  // Block Scope in a Functional Scope
  {
    console.log(grapes); // 🍇
  }
}

// Block Scope
{
  console.log(grapes); // 🍇
}

In the example above, we can access the grapes variable from all child scopes because it is declared in the global scope.

Functional Scope

Functional scope is the scope created with a function declaration. Variables declared in a functional scope are only available in that scope and cannot be accessed outside of it. The behavior of var, let, and const are the same in this case.

Here's an example:

// Global Scope

// Functional Scope
function createVariables() {
  var apple = "🍎";
  const cherry = "🍒";
  let strawberry = "🍓";
}

console.log(apple); // ReferenceError
console.log(cherry); // ReferenceError
console.log(strawberry); // ReferenceError

In the example above, all three variables are only accessible in the functional scope of the createVariables function. If you try to access them outside of the functional scope the program throws a ReferenceError.

Block Scope

Block scope is the scope that is created with a pair of curly braces. Block scope is only valid for let and const, not var. When you declare a variable with var it is moved to the global scope or the nearest functional scope if it exists.

// Block Scope
{
  const banana = "🍌";

  // Block Scope in a Block Scope
  {
    console.log(banana); // 🍌

    var carrot = "🥕";
    let lemon = "🍋";
  }

  console.log(carrot); // 🥕
  console.log(lemon); // ReferenceError
}

In the example above:

• We can access the banana variable that we declared with const in the parent scope in the child scope.
• We can access the carrot variable declared with var in the child scope in the parent scope because the program moves it to the global scope.
• We can't access the lemon variable declared with let in the child scope in the parent scope because it cannot be accessed outside of the scope in which it's declared. If try to do that, the program throws a ReferenceError.

How to Mutate Variables in JavaScript

In this section, we'll talk about the var and let statements together, and then discuss how the const statement behaves. This is because the variables declared with var and let are mutable (that is, they can be changed), while variables declared with const are immutable.

1. Mutation in var and let statements

As I said, the variables declared with var and let are mutable, which means that you can assign new values to them. Here's what I mean:

var pepper = "🌶️";
let apple = "🍏";

pepper = "🫑";
apple = "🍎";

console.log(pepper); // 🫑
console.log(apple); // 🍎

In the example above, we mutated the pepper and apple variables, and they were assigned new values.

2. Mutation in const statement

Variables declared with const are immutable. So you cannot assign new values to them once you've declared them.

const strawberry = "🍓";

strawberry = "🍉"; // TypeError

If you try to run the code snippet above, the program throws an error like this:

Objects are an exception for the immutability of the const statement because they have properties and methods, unlike primitives.

You cannot mutate them via assignment but can mutate them via their methods and property assignment. Here's an example:

const fruits = ["🍎", "🍐"];
const fruitEmojiMap = {
  apple: "🍎",
  pear: "🍐",
};

fruits[2] = "🍒"; // [ '🍎', '🍐', '🍒' ]
fruits.push("🍌"); // [ '🍎', '🍐', '🍒', '🍌' ]

fruitEmojiMap.cherry = "🍒"; // { apple: '🍎', pear: '🍐', cherry: '🍒' }

In the code example above,

• We added two new fruits to the fruits array via property assignment, and used the push method of the Array object.
• We added a new fruit to the fruitEmojiMap object via property assignment.

A little note: you can use the Object.freeze() method to achieve complete immutability for objects.

How to Redeclare Variables in JavaScript

Redeclaring a variable with the same name in the same scope is likely something you don't want to do intentionally, and I've never found a real use case for it.

But strangely, we can redeclare variables declared with var using the same name in the same scope. This is another error-prone characteristic of the var statement. Fortunately, this behavior was changed with the let and const statements.

1. How to redeclare variables with var

You can redeclare a variable declared with var in the same scope or child-parent scopes. The variable will be affected in the global scope, or functional scope if it is declared in a function.

So even if you redeclare a variable in the child scope, the variable will change in all scopes where that variable is available.

// Global Scope
var pepper = "🌶️";

console.log(pepper); // 🌶️

// Block Scope
{
  var pepper = "🥦";

  console.log(pepper); // 🥦
}

console.log(pepper); // 🥦

In the example above, we declared a new pepper variable in the block scope and assigned it a different value. This affects the variable in the global scope and we lose access to the previous variable.

This behavior tends to cause big problems. Because someone working in the same codebase may unintentionally declare a variable using the same name used before.

The process is a bit different if you make the redeclaration in a function. The variable outside of the function remains the same and the variable inside the function cannot affect it. As I said, variables declared with var in a function are in functional scope and don't affect the outside.

// Global Scope
var onion = "🧅";

// Functional Scope
function redeclareOnion() {
  var onion = "🧄";

  console.log(onion); // 🧄
}

console.log(onion); // 🧅

In the example above, even though we declared a new variable using the same name as the onion variable inside a function, the onion variable declared in the global scope remained the same.

2. How to redeclare variables with let and const

You cannot redeclare variables declared with let or const in the same scope. If you try to do so, the program throws a SyntaxError.

let eggplant = "🍆";

let eggplant = "🥔"; // SyntaxError

In the example above, we tried to redeclare the eggplant variable in the same scope, and the program threw the following error:

But you can redeclare variables using let and const in child scopes. Because the variables declared with let and const are block scope and don't affect the parent scopes.

// Global Scope
const carrot = "🥕";

// Block Scope
{
  const carrot = "🍒";

  console.log(carrot); // 🍒
}

console.log(carrot); // 🥕

In the example above, we declared two carrot variables. The first one is in the global scope and the second one is in the block scope with a different value. The variable in the global scope remains the same and the variable in the block scope is a standalone new variable.

The downside is that we lost access to the carrot variable declared in the global scope, in the block scope. If we need this variable in the future we can't access the variable.

So, most of the time, it is better to declare a variable with a unique name.

3. How to Redeclare Variables by Mixing Statements

Briefly, you shouldn't mix statements. This section is intended to give you information rather than really show you how the process is done.

You cannot create variables by mixing statements using the same name in the same scope. If you try it, the program throws a SyntaxError.

const banana = "🍌";

var banana = "🍋"; // SyntaxError

In the example above, we tried to redeclare the banana variable declared with const with var, but the program threw an error similar to the one below:

Also, you cannot declare a variable with var using the same name as one already declared in a parent scope using let or const. As I said, var is global scope and affects the variable declared in parent scopes unless it is inside a function.

// Global Scope
let pineapple = "🍍";

// Functional Scope
function declarePineapple() {
  var pineapple = "🍏"; // This is okay
}

// Block Scope
{
  var pineapple = "🍎"; // SyntaxError
}

In the example above, we tried to redeclare the pineapple variable in two places:

• In the function, which we did successfully.
• But in the child block scope, the program threw the following error:

Conclusion

These days, let and const are the default choice for variable declaration in JavaScript. But you might still encounter the var statement, especially in older apps. So you'll need to know how to handle it.

In this guide, you have learned the differences between var, let, and const. We also talked about hoisting and scope in variable declaration.

See you in the next one!

Stay in Touch

You can connect with me on Twitter, and you can read more tutorials like this one on my blog here.