Question

Can a function have a local variable with the same name as a global variable?

Short answer

Explain with an example.** Yes, a function can have a local variable with the same name as a global variable. When this happens, the local variable is said to "shadow" or "mask" the global variable within the scope of that function. For example, consider a global variable `x = 10`. Now, let's declare a function with a local variable named `x` as well: ```python def example_function(): x = 5 print("Inside function, x =", x) ``` In this case, the local variable `x` within the function `example_function` is shadowing the global variable `x`. When we call this function, it will print "Inside function, x = 5", while the global variable `x` will remain unchanged at 10.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction to Local and Global Variables

In programming, variables can have different scope depending on where they are declared. A global variable is a variable that's declared outside a function and can be accessed by any part of the code, including inside functions. A local variable, on the other hand, is a variable that's declared inside a function and can only be accessed within that function. It has a limited scope and is not available in other parts of the code.

Can a function have a local variable with the same name as a global variable?

Yes, a function can have a local variable with the same name as a global variable. When this happens, the local variable is said to "shadow" or "mask" the global variable within the scope of that function. The function will only be able to access the local variable during its execution, and the global variable will remain unchanged.

Example

Here's an example to illustrate this concept: Let's say we have the following global variable: ```python x = 10 ``` Now, let's declare a function with a local variable named `x` as well: ```python def example_function(): x = 5 print("Inside function, x =", x) ``` In this example, the local variable `x` within the function `example_function` is shadowing the global variable `x`. When we call this function, it will print: ```python example_function() # Output: Inside function, x = 5 ``` Now let's print the global variable `x` after calling the function: ```python print("Outside function, x =", x) # Output: Outside function, x = 10 ``` As you can see, the global variable `x` remains unchanged, even though the local variable `x` inside the function has the same name.