Type of Scope

In Python, variable scope refers to the region or context in which a variable is defined and can be accessed. There are two main types of variable scope:

1. Global Scope:
   • Variables defined outside of any function or block have a global scope.
   • They can be accessed from any part of the code, including inside functions.
2. Local Scope:
   • Variables defined inside a function or a block have a local scope.
   • They are only accessible within that specific function or block.

Example:

        
# Global variable
global_variable = "I am global"

def example_function():
    # Local variable
    local_variable = "I am local"
    print(global_variable)  # Accessing global variable within the function
    print(local_variable)   # Accessing local variable within the function

# Trying to access local_variable outside the function will result in an error
        
    

In the example above, global_variable has a global scope, so it can be accessed both inside and outside the function. However, local_variable has a local scope and can only be accessed within the example_function. Attempting to access local_variable outside the function would result in an error.

Function Inside Function

In Python, you can define a function inside another function. This is known as a nested function. The inner function has access to variables from the outer function, creating a closure.

Example:

        
def outer_function(x):
    def inner_function(y):
        return x + y
    
    result = inner_function(5)
    return result

# Call the outer function
output = outer_function(3)
        
    

In the example above, outer_function contains an inner function inner_function. The inner function takes a parameter y and returns the sum of x (from the outer function) and y.

The result of calling the outer function is stored in the variable output.

Same Name with Different Scope

In Python, the scope of a variable refers to the region of the code where the variable can be accessed. When a variable with the same name is declared in different scopes, they are considered different variables.

Example:

        
# Global scope
global_variable = "I am global"

def example_function():
    # Local scope
    local_variable = "I am local"
    print(local_variable)  # Output: I am local

    # Accessing global variable
    print(global_variable)  # Output: I am global

# Calling the function
example_function()

# Attempting to access local variable outside its scope (will result in an error)
# print(local_variable)  # Uncommenting this line will result in an error
        
    

In the example above, global_variable is declared in the global scope, and local_variable is declared within the example_function function in a local scope. The print statements inside the function demonstrate accessing variables from both the local and global scopes.