Difference between let, var and const in JavaScript
In JavaScript, let
, const
, and var
are all ways to declare variables. Each one has a slightly different behavior and use case.
Here is a brief overview of the main differences between let
, const
, and var
:
let
: This is a new way to declare variables introduced in ECMAScript 6 (ES6).let
variables are block-scoped, which means that they are only accessible within the block of code in which they are defined. They can be reassigned, but not redeclared within the same block.
let x = 10;
x = 20; // valid
let x = 30; // error
const
: This is also a new way to declare variables introduced in ES6.const
variables are also block-scoped, but they are read-only and cannot be reassigned. If you try to reassign aconst
variable, you will get an error.
const y = 10;
y = 20; // error
const y = 30; // error
var
: This is the traditional way to declare variables in JavaScript.var
variables are function-scoped, which means that they are only accessible within the function in which they are defined. They can be reassigned and redeclared within the same function.
var z = 10;
z = 20; // valid
var z = 30; // valid
In general, it is recommended to use const
whenever possible, and to use let
only when you need to reassign a variable. var
should be avoided in most cases, as it can lead to some confusing behaviors due to its function-scoped nature.