Binding, assignment, and such: Difference between revisions
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This one is a little messy in that | |||
: ''the most abstract'' definitions are relatively vague, | |||
whereas | |||
: language-specific ones may be more understandable, but also not exactly match other language's | |||
Declaring - create new name in a scope | |||
Binding - tie a name to something | |||
A lot of the time, declaration means '''variable declaration''', which | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's name | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's type | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's value be allocated / reference be set | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's initial value | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's scope | |||
* can but does not need to declare the variable's mutability (of ''reference'' and/or value) | |||
Depending on the language you're working in, some of those may be ''required''. | |||
But also frequently not. | |||
Say, in JS | |||
* nothing settles type (it's a [[dynamically typed]] language) | |||
* var settles a name, and scope (via var's rules) | |||
* const settles a name, initial value, and scope (via const's rules) | |||
* function definition, the initial value and its type, and its scope | |||
'''Binding''' - | |||
: usually refers to altering the association of a variable name with variable entity | |||
'''Assignment''' - alter the value of a given variable (and/or the reference to an object) | |||
:: often within the narrowest scope | |||
Some languages are somewhat fuzzy about the distinction in binding and assignment, | |||
and e.g. = may be doing a bit of both. | |||
functional languages tend to not assign, but may well still bind | functional languages tend to not assign, but may well still bind | ||
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Latest revision as of 16:50, 22 June 2024