JavaScript: access variables inside anonymous function from the outside

javascript scope anonymous-function
steve picture steve · Jan 17, 2013 · Viewed 27.2k times · Source

Say I have this anonymous function:

(function(window){

 var private = 'private msg';

 function sayit() {
   alert(private) // works
 }

 document.body.onclick = sayit; // works

})(window);

// private shouldn't be accessible here

Is this how JavaScript should behave?

That is, there is no way to access private from anywhere outside of that anonymous function?

If so, is it possible to find some kind of hack to access private from the outside, leaving the code the way it is?

Answer

Faiz picture Faiz · Jan 17, 2013

Yes, this is how Javascript lets you have 'private' variables (hidden in a function scope).

No, there's no hack available to access variables such as private without re-writing the code.

Variables defined with var within a function can be accessed only from within that function.

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