what does local mean in roblox

In Lua within the context of Roblox scripting, the keyword "local" is used to declare a variable with local scope. The local scope restricts the visibility of the variable to the block in which it is declared, ensuring that the variable is only accessible within that specific block.

When a variable is declared using "local," it cannot be accessed or modified outside of the block where it is defined. This practice is often employed to prevent unintended interference with variables in other parts of the script or in the global scope.

Here is an example of the usage of "local" in Roblox Lua scripting:

-- Global variable
globalVariable = 10

-- Function definition
function exampleFunction()
    -- Local variable, only accessible within this function
    local localVariable = 5

    -- Accessing local and global variables
    print("Local variable:", localVariable)
    print("Global variable:", globalVariable)
end

-- Calling the function
exampleFunction()

-- Attempting to access the local variable outside the function will result in an error
print("Attempt to access local variable outside function:", localVariable)

In this example, "localVariable" is declared inside the function, making it local to that function. Attempting to access "localVariable" outside the function will result in an error. The global variable "globalVariable" is accessible both inside and outside the function.