How do I change the value of a global variable inside of a function

Question

I am using JavaScript and I create a global variable. I define it outside of a function and I want to change the global variable value from inside a function and use it from

Answer 1

Just use the name of that variable.

In JavaScript, variables are only local to a function, if they are the function's parameter(s) or if you declare them as local explicitely by typing the var keyword before the name of the variable.

If the name of the local value has the same name as the global value, use the window object

See this jsfiddle

x = 1;
y = 2;
z = 3;

function a(y) {
  // y is local to the function, because it is a function parameter
  console.log('local y: should be 10:', y); // local y through function parameter
  y = 3; // will only overwrite local y, not 'global' y
  console.log('local y: should be 3:', y); // local y
  // global value could be accessed by referencing through window object
  console.log('global y: should be 2:', window.y) // global y, different from local y ()

  var x; // makes x a local variable
  x = 4; // only overwrites local x
  console.log('local x: should be 4:', x); // local x
  
  z = 5; // overwrites global z, because there is no local z
  console.log('local z: should be 5:', z); // local z, same as global
  console.log('global z: should be 5 5:', window.z, z) // global z, same as z, because z is not local
}
a(10);
console.log('global x: should be 1:', x); // global x
console.log('global y: should be 2:', y); // global y
console.log('global z: should be 5:', z); // global z, overwritten in function a

Edit

With ES2015 there came two more keywords const and let, which also affect the scope of a variable (Language Specification)