What's the difference between using “let” and “var” to declare a variable in JavaScript?

What's the difference between using “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?

回答1

The difference is scoping. var is scoped to the nearest function block and let is scoped to the nearest enclosing block, which can be smaller than a function block. Both are global if outside any block.

Also, variables declared with let are not accessible before they are declared in their enclosing block. As seen in the demo, this will throw a ReferenceError exception.

var html = '';

write('#### global ####\n');
write('globalVar: ' + globalVar); //undefined, but visible

try {
  write('globalLet: ' + globalLet); //undefined, *not* visible
} catch (exception) {
  write('globalLet: exception');
}

write('\nset variables');

var globalVar = 'globalVar';
let globalLet = 'globalLet';

write('\nglobalVar: ' + globalVar);
write('globalLet: ' + globalLet);

function functionScoped() {
  write('\n#### function ####');
  write('\nfunctionVar: ' + functionVar); //undefined, but visible

  try {
    write('functionLet: ' + functionLet); //undefined, *not* visible
  } catch (exception) {
    write('functionLet: exception');
  }

  write('\nset variables');

  var functionVar = 'functionVar';
  let functionLet = 'functionLet';

  write('\nfunctionVar: ' + functionVar);
  write('functionLet: ' + functionLet);
}

function blockScoped() {
  write('\n#### block ####');
  write('\nblockVar: ' + blockVar); //undefined, but visible

  try {
    write('blockLet: ' + blockLet); //undefined, *not* visible
  } catch (exception) {
    write('blockLet: exception');
  }

  for (var blockVar = 'blockVar', blockIndex = 0; blockIndex < 1; blockIndex++) {
    write('\nblockVar: ' + blockVar); // visible here and whole function
  };

  for (let blockLet = 'blockLet', letIndex = 0; letIndex < 1; letIndex++) {
    write('blockLet: ' + blockLet); // visible only here
  };

  write('\nblockVar: ' + blockVar);

  try {
    write('blockLet: ' + blockLet); //undefined, *not* visible
  } catch (exception) {
    write('blockLet: exception');
  }
}

function write(line) {
  html += (line ? line : '') + '<br />';
}

functionScoped();
blockScoped();

document.getElementById('results').innerHTML = html;

 

Global:

They are very similar when used like this outside a function block.

let me = 'go';  // globally scoped
var i = 'able'; // globally scoped

However, global variables defined with let will not be added as properties on the global windowobject like those defined with var.

console.log(window.me); // undefined
console.log(window.i); // 'able'

 

Function:

They are identical when used like this in a function block.

function ingWithinEstablishedParameters() {
    let terOfRecommendation = 'awesome worker!'; //function block scoped
    var sityCheerleading = 'go!'; //function block scoped
}

 

Block:

Here is the difference. let is only visible in the for() loop and var is visible to the whole function.

unction allyIlliterate() {
    //tuce is *not* visible out here

    for( let tuce = 0; tuce < 5; tuce++ ) {
        //tuce is only visible in here (and in the for() parentheses)
        //and there is a separate tuce variable for each iteration of the loop
    }

    //tuce is *not* visible out here
}

function byE40() {
    //nish *is* visible out here

    for( var nish = 0; nish < 5; nish++ ) {
        //nish is visible to the whole function
    }

    //nish *is* visible out here
}

 

Redeclaration:

Assuming strict mode, var will let you re-declare the same variable in the same scope. On the other hand, let will not:

'use strict';
let me = 'foo';
let me = 'bar'; // SyntaxError: Identifier 'me' has already been declared

'use strict';
var me = 'foo';
var me = 'bar'; // No problem, `me` is replaced.

 

回答1的新版本

Scoping rules

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

  {
    let baz = "Bazz";
    console.log(baz); // Bazz
  }

  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 stackoverflow 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 value from the loops but that was also hairy可怕的.

 

Hoisting

While variables declared with var keyword are hoisted (initialized with undefined before the code is run) which means they are accessible in their enclosing scope even before they are declared:

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

run();

let variables are not initialized until their definition is evaluated. Accessing them before the initialization results in a ReferenceError. Variable said to be in "temporal dead zone" from the start of the block until the initialization 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

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, 'foo' is replaced.

let bar = "bar1";
let bar = "bar2"; // SyntaxError: Identifier 'bar' has already been declared

 

 

 

回答2

let can also be used to avoid problems with closures. It binds fresh value rather than keeping an old reference as shown in examples below.

for(var i = 1; i < 6; i++) {
  document.getElementById('my-element' + i)
    .addEventListener('click', function() { alert(i) })
}

Code above demonstrates a classic JavaScript closure problem. Reference to the i variable is being stored in the click handler closure, rather than the actual value of i.

Every single click handler will refer to the same object because there’s only one counter object which holds 6 so you get six on each click.

General workaround is to wrap this in an anonymous function and pass i as argument. Such issues can also be avoided now by using let instead var as shown in code below.

'use strict';

for(let i = 1; i < 6; i++) {
  document.getElementById('my-element' + i)
    .addEventListener('click', function() { alert(i) })
}