scope

programming The scope of an identifier is the region of a

program source within which it represents a certain thing.

This usually extends from the place where it is declared to

the end of the smallest enclosing block (begin/end or

procedure/function body). An inner block may contain a

redeclaration of the same identifier in which case the scope

of the outer declaration does not include (is "shadowed" or

"occluded" by) the scope of the inner.

See also activation record, dynamic scope, lexicalscope.

(1994-11-01)