What are variable scopes in PHP (global, local, static)?
Jun 29, 2025 am 02:16 AMThere are three main scopes of variables in PHP: global, local and static. 1. Global scope refers to variables declared outside the function and can only be accessed outside the function. If it needs to be used inside the function, it must be introduced with the global keyword; 2. Local scope refers to variables declared inside the function, which are only valid inside the function, and the variables are destroyed after the function is executed; 3. Static scope is implemented through the static keyword, so that local variables retain their values ??between multiple function calls, but do not change their local access characteristics.
When working with PHP, you'll run into different variable scopes — which basically means where a variable is accessible in your code. The main ones you need to know are global , local , and static . Let's break them down so you can understand when and why each one matters.
Global Scope: Variables Outside Functions
Variables declared outside of any function are in the global scope. That means they're accessible from anywhere in your script except inside functions, unless you specifically tell PHP to use them there.
For example:
$message = "Hello, world!"; function saysHello() { echo $message; // This won't work as expected } saysHello(); // Outputs nothing or throws an error
To access a global variable inside a function, you have to use the global
keyword:
$message = "Hello, world!"; function saysHello() { global $message; echo $message; } saysHello(); // Outputs: Hello, world!
This tells PHP that inside this function, we want to use the $message
variable from the global scope.
Local Scope: Variables Inside Functions
Variables declared inside a function are only available within that function. They're said to have local scope. Trying to access them outside will result in an error or undefined behavior.
Example:
function saysHi() { $greeting = "Hi there!"; echo $greeting; } saysHi(); // Outputs: Hi there! echo $greeting; // Error: Undefined variable
Once the function finishes running, the variable $greeting
is destroyed (unless it's declared as static, which we'll get to next).
Static Scope: Preserving Local Variable Values
The static
keyword lets a local variable keep its value between function calls. Normally, when a function ends, all its variables are deleted. But if a variable is declared static
, it retains its value for the next time the function runs.
Useful for things like counters:
function countVisits() { static $count = 0; $count ; echo "Visit number: $count <br>"; } countVisits(); // Visit number: 1 countVisits(); // Visit number: 2 countVisits(); // Visit number: 3
Without static
, $count
would reset to 0 every time, and you'd always see "Visit number: 1".
A few things to note:
- You can only declare a variable as
static
inside a function. - It doesn't make the variable globally accessible—it just keeps it around longer than usual.
So in short:
- Use global when you really need to bring a variable into a function from the outside.
- Stick to local variables whenever possible—they're easier to manage and less likely to cause conflicts.
- Reach for static when you want a local variable to remember its state across multiple function calls.
Basically that's it.
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