JavaScript code executing after return

javascript

Solution

No, the code shouldn't output 2 because variable declarations are hoisted so your code is equivalent to

var x = 1;
(function() {
  var x;
  x = 2; // changes the internal x variable
  return;
  x = 3; // does nothing because it's not reached
})();
console.log(x); // Outputs the outside x, which is still 1

The line

x = 2;

only changes the internal `x` variable which shadows the outside one.

The scope of a non global variable is the entire function in which it is declared. From the start of this function to its end.

Problem

In the following example, JavaScript seems to be completely ignoring my `return` statement, and just carrying on executing code. ``` var x = 1; (function() { x = 2; return; var x = 3; })(); console.log(x); // Outputs 1 in both Chrome and FF ``` Surely the code should output `2`? If I remove the `var` keyword from `var x = 3`, it outputs `2` as expected. Is there some strange compiler optimization at work here?

Original source