Scope - Cadence

Every function and block ({ … }) introduces a new scope for declarations. Each function and block can refer to declarations in its scope or any of the outer scopes.


let x = 10
 
fun f(): Int {
    let y = 10
    return x + y
}
 
f()  // is `20`
 
// Invalid: the identifier `y` is not in scope.
//
y


fun doubleAndAddOne(_ n: Int): Int {
    fun double(_ x: Int) {
        return x * 2
    }
    return double(n) + 1
}
 
// Invalid: the identifier `double` is not in scope.
//
double(1)

Each scope can introduce new declarations, i.e., the outer declaration is shadowed.


let x = 2
 
fun test(): Int {
    let x = 3
    return x
}
 
test()  // is `3`

Scope is lexical, not dynamic.


let x = 10
 
fun f(): Int {
   return x
}
 
fun g(): Int {
   let x = 20
   return f()
}
 
g()  // is `10`, not `20`

Declarations are not moved to the top of the enclosing function (hoisted).


let x = 2
 
fun f(): Int {
    if x == 0 {
        let x = 3
        return x
    }
    return x
}
f()  // is `2`