In JavaScript, hoisting is a behavior in which a function or a variable can be used before declaration.
Here is a simple example of variable hoisting in JavaScript. Read the rest of the tutorial to learn more.
Example
// use test variable before declaring
console.log(test);
// declare and initialize test variable
var test = 5;
// Output: undefined
Here, we can use the test variable before declaration because of variable hoisting. However, we get undefined as output because the variable hasn't been initialized at the time it's printed.
Hoisting in JavaScript
There are generally two types of hoistings in JavaScript:
- Variable Hoisting
- Function Hoisting
Let's understand each of them in detail.
Variable Hoisting
In JavaScript, the behavior of hoisting varies depending on whether a variable is declared using var, let, or const.
Hoisting With 'var'
When we declare a variable using var, it is hoisted to the top of its current scope. For example,
// use the message variable before declaration
console.log(message);
// variable declaration using var keyword
var message;
// Output: undefined
In the above example, we can use the message variable before it is declared. This is because the variable is hoisted with the default value of undefined.
Thus, the above program is equivalent to:
var message;
console.log(message);
// Output: undefined
Hoisting With 'let' and 'const'
When we declare a variable using let or const, it is hoisted to the top of its current scope. However, the variable does not have a default value when it is hoisted (unlike when declared using var).
Let's take a look at the example below.
// use the message variable before declaration
console.log(message);
// variable declaration using let keyword
let message;
Output
ReferenceError: Cannot access 'message' before initialization
Here, the error occurs because a variable declared with let is not assigned any default value when hoisted.
Note: We know the message variable was hoisted because the error message "Cannot access 'message' before initialization" indicates that JavaScript is aware that message exists.
Had the variable not been hoisted, we'd get a different error, i.e., ReferenceError: message is not defined.
Function Hoisting
In JavaScript, function hoisting allows us to call the function before its declaration.
// function call
greeting();
// function declaration
function greeting() {
console.log("Welcome to Programiz.");
}
Output
Welcome to Programiz.
In the above example, we can call greeting() before it is declared because of hoisting.
In JavaScript, a variable is hoisted only to the top of its current scope. Let's look at how this works inside functions:
function greet() {
message = "hello";
// use the variable message before declaration
console.log(message);
var message;
}
greet();
// attempt to access message outside the function
console.log(message);
Output
hello ERROR! ... ... ... ReferenceError: message is not defined
In the above example, the message variable is hoisted to the top of the greet() function and becomes a local variable.
But when we try to access message outside the function, we get an error because the variable is hoisted only to the top of the function and not to the global scope.
Note: To learn more about local and global variables, visit JavaScript Variable Scope.
When we use a function expression, we cannot call it before its declaration. For example,
// call greet() function before declaration
greet();
// function expression
var greet = function() {
console.log("Programiz");
}
Output
TypeError: greet is not a function
Initializations Are Not Hoisted
JavaScript moves the declaration of variables to the top of its scope before the code runs.
However, the initialization part stays in the original place in the code. For example,
// display number
console.log(number);
var number = 5;
// Output: undefined
The above program is equivalent to:
var number;
console.log(number);
number = 5;
As you can see, only the declaration is moved to the top.
Hence, the value of the number variable is undefined because it is printed without initializing it.
Notes:
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