DEV Community

bonnguyenitc
bonnguyenitc

Posted on

Variables in JavaScript: The Fundamentals

JavaScript is a dynamically-typed language that allows developers to store data in variables. Variables are containers that hold values, which can be of different types such as numbers, strings, arrays, and objects. In this blog post, we will go over the basics of variables in JavaScript and how to use them effectively.

Declaring Variables in JavaScript

In JavaScript, you can declare a variable using the var, let, or const keyword. The var keyword has been used for years and is still widely used in older JavaScript code, but it is generally recommended to use let or const for declaring variables in modern JavaScript.

The difference between var, let, and const is the scope and mutability of the variable. var variables are function-scoped, which means that they are only accessible within the function they are declared in. let and const variables are block-scoped, meaning that they are only accessible within the block they are declared in.

let variables are mutable, meaning that you can change their value after they are declared. const variables, on the other hand, are immutable, meaning that once a value is assigned to them, it cannot be changed.

For example, let's declare a variable name using const:

const name = "John Doe";
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

In this example, we declared a const variable name and assigned a string value of "John Doe" to it. Once the value is assigned, it cannot be changed.

Assigning Values to Variables in JavaScript

In JavaScript, you can assign values to variables using the assignment operator =. The assignment operator takes the value on the right-hand side and assigns it to the variable on the left-hand side.

For example, let's assign a value to a let variable:

let age = 30;
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

In this example, we declared a let variable age and assigned a value of 30 to it. The value of the age variable can be changed later in the code.

Data Types in JavaScript

JavaScript is a dynamically-typed language, meaning that the type of a variable can change based on the value assigned to it. There are several data types in JavaScript, including:

  • Number: Represents numbers, such as integers and floating-point numbers.
  • String: Represents a sequence of characters, such as words or sentences.
  • Boolean: Represents a value that can be either true or false.
  • Array: Represents a collection of values, such as a list of numbers or strings.
  • Object: Represents a collection of properties and values, such as a person's name and age.

You can use the typeof operator to find out the type of a variable. For example:

let name = "John Doe";
console.log(typeof name); // Output: string

let age = 30;
console.log(typeof age); // Output: number
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

In this example, we declared two variables name and age, and used the typeof operator to find out their types.

Conclusion

Variables are an essential part of any programming language, and JavaScript is no exception. In this blog post, we covered the basics of variables in JavaScript, including how to declare variables, assign values to them

Top comments (1)

Collapse
 
Sloan, the sloth mascot
Comment deleted