# Declaring variables

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [September 2, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947 "2003-09-02T11:09:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kO2n](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/ko2n/32/248_2.png) [@kO2n](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/kO2n)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/1 "2003-09-02T11:09:46Z")

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Whats the difference with declaring variables in the following manner:

**i = 0;**  
and  
**var i = 0;**

Regards,  
Viru.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/2 "2003-09-02T11:13:33Z")

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There isn’t… at least that’s what I think! I never use var!

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/3 "2003-09-02T11:34:19Z")

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well… it does have one difference. If you use it in a function:

```auto

function addOne(){
var i;
i+=1;
return i;
}

//Once the function finishes, i is destroyed. This is what the var keyword does in a function.
function addOne2(){
i+=1;
return i;
}
//because we omitted var, i is not destroyed:
for(var j = 0;j < 3;j++){
 trace(addOne2());
}
//outputs 123.
for(var j = 0;j < 3;j++){
trace(addOne());
}
//outputs 111, as i is always destroyed

```

Other than that, it’s just good form and helps when you move on to C or Java.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/4 "2003-09-02T11:37:35Z")

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Yeah i do Java too.

It says in the actionscript dictionary that it makes the variable local when var is used. Makes sense, i just wondered thats all.

Thanks,  
Viru.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/5 "2003-09-02T12:15:04Z")

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local to function calls. Theres no difference in using var or not on the timeline.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/6 "2003-09-02T12:36:35Z")

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There is, but a very slight one. With var you have to wait a frame before you can access it from another place (like another mc), if you don’t use var you can access it straight away.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/declaring-variables/29947/7 "2003-09-02T17:37:30Z")

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There’s something in the AS tricks about that and [m], are you sure about what you’re saying? It sounds strange :-\ How would you access that local variable from another movieclip?? Can you give an example?