What is the difference between closures and lexical scoping?

What is the difference between closures and lexical scoping?

Closures are functions that remember their lexical scope even when the function is executed outside that scope. Lexical scoping, on the other hand, refers to how variable scope is determined by the location of the variables within the nested function structure.

Can you give me an example of a closure?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

function makeCounter() {
    let count = 0;
    return function() {
        count++;
        return count;
    };
}

const counter = makeCounter();
console.log(counter()); // 1
console.log(counter()); // 2

In this example, the inner function forms a closure that retains access to the count variable.

How does lexical scoping work in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, lexical scoping means that a function's scope is determined by its position in the source code. Functions can access variables from their own scope, the outer scope, and the global scope, but not the other way around.

Are closures always created in JavaScript?

Yes, closures are created whenever a function is defined inside another function. This allows the inner function to access the outer function's variables, creating a closure.