What are the best practices for variable scope in Ruby?

What are the best practices for variable scope in Ruby?

In Ruby, it's important to understand the different scopes: local, instance, class, and global. Each has its own use cases.

Can you explain the difference between local and instance variables?

Sure! Local variables are defined within a method and can't be accessed outside of it. Instance variables, prefixed with '@', are accessible across methods in the same object.

When should I use global variables?

Global variables, prefixed with '$', should be used sparingly as they can lead to code that is hard to maintain and debug.

What about constants? How do they fit into variable scope?

Constants in Ruby are defined with an uppercase letter and are accessible throughout the class or module they are defined in. They should not be changed.