JavaScript Identifiers

All JavaScript variables must be identified with unique names.

These unique names are called identifiers.

Identifiers can be short names (like x and y) or more descriptive names (age,
sum, totalVolume).

The general rules for constructing names for variables (unique identifiers) are:

Names can contain letters, digits, underscores, and dollar signs.

Names must begin with a letter.

Names can also begin with $ and _ (but we will not use it in this tutorial).

Names are case sensitive (y and Y are different variables).

Reserved words (like JavaScript keywords) cannot be used as names.

Note

JavaScript identifiers are case-sensitive.

The Assignment Operator

In JavaScript, the equal sign (=) is an "assignment" operator, not an "equal to"
operator.

This is different from algebra. The following does not make sense in algebra:
x=x+5

In JavaScript, however, it makes perfect sense: it assigns the value of x + 5 to

x.

(It calculates the value of x + 5 and puts the result into x. The value of x is
incremented by 5.)

Note

The "equal to" operator is written like == in JavaScript.

JavaScript Data Types

JavaScript variables can hold numbers like 100 and text values like "John Doe".

In programming, text values are called text strings.

JavaScript can handle many types of data, but for now, just think of numbers
and strings.

Strings are written inside double or single quotes. Numbers are written
without quotes.

If you put a number in quotes, it will be treated as a text string.

Example

const pi = 3.14;

let person = "John Doe";

let answer = 'Yes I am!';

Declaring a JavaScript Variable

Creating a variable in JavaScript is called "declaring" a variable.

You declare a JavaScript variable with the var or the let keyword:

var carName;

or:

let carName;

After the declaration, the variable has no value (technically it is undefined).

To assign a value to the variable, use the equal sign:

carName = "Volvo";

You can also assign a value to the variable when you declare it:

let carName = "Volvo";

In the example below, we create a variable called carName and assign the
value "Volvo" to it.
Then we "output" the value inside an HTML paragraph with id="demo":

Example

<p id="demo"></p>

<script>

let carName = "Volvo";

document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = carName;

</script>

Note

It's a good programming practice to declare all variables at the beginning of a

script.

One Statement, Many Variables

You can declare many variables in one statement.

Start the statement with let and separate the variables by comma:

Example

let person = "John Doe", carName = "Volvo", price = 200;

A declaration can span multiple lines:

Example
let person = "John Doe",

carName = "Volvo",

price = 200;

Value = undefined

In computer programs, variables are often declared without a value. The value
can be something that has to be calculated, or something that will be
provided later, like user input.

A variable declared without a value will have the value undefined.

The variable carName will have the value undefined after the execution of this
statement:

Example

let carName;

Re-Declaring JavaScript Variables

If you re-declare a JavaScript variable declared with var, it will not lose its
value.

The variable carName will still have the value "Volvo" after the execution of
these statements:

Example

var carName = "Volvo";

var carName;

Note

You cannot re-declare a variable declared with let or const.

This will not work:

let carName = "Volvo";

let carName;

JavaScript Arithmetic

As with algebra, you can do arithmetic with JavaScript variables, using

operators like = and +:

Example

let x = 5 + 2 + 3;

You can also add strings, but strings will be concatenated:

Example

let x = "John" + " " + "Doe";

Also try this:

Example

let x = "5" + 2 + 3;

Note
If you put a number in quotes, the rest of the numbers will be treated as
strings, and concatenated.

Now try this:

Example

let x = 2 + 3 + "5";

JavaScript Dollar Sign $

Since JavaScript treats a dollar sign as a letter, identifiers containing $ are

valid variable names:

Example

let $ = "Hello World";

let $$$ = 2;

let $myMoney = 5;

Using the dollar sign is not very common in JavaScript, but professional
programmers often use it as an alias for the main function in a JavaScript
library.

In the JavaScript library jQuery, for instance, the main function $ is used to
select HTML elements. In jQuery $("p"); means "select all p elements".

JavaScript Underscore (_)

Since JavaScript treats underscore as a letter, identifiers containing _ are valid

variable names:
Example

let _lastName = "Johnson";

let _x = 2;

let _100 = 5;

Using the underscore is not very common in JavaScript, but a convention

among professional programmers is to use it as an alias for "private (hidden)"
variables.