What is the difference between lexical and global variables in Perl?

What is the difference between lexical and global variables in Perl?

In Perl, lexical variables are declared with 'my' and are scoped to the block they are defined in, while global variables are declared with 'our' and can be accessed anywhere in the package.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! A lexical variable example: 'my $x = 10;' is only accessible within the block. A global variable example: 'our $y = 20;' can be accessed from anywhere in the package.

What happens if I try to access a lexical variable outside its scope?

If you try to access a lexical variable outside its scope, Perl will throw an error saying that the variable is not declared.

Are there any performance differences between using lexical and global variables?

Yes, lexical variables are generally faster and more memory-efficient because they are scoped and cleaned up automatically when out of scope.