(zsh.info)Local Parameters


Local Parameters
================

Shell function executions delimit scopes for shell parameters.
(Parameters are dynamically scoped.)  The typeset builtin, and its
alternative forms declare, integer, local and readonly (but not
export), can be used to declare a parameter as being local to the
innermost scope.

When a parameter is read or assigned to, the innermost existing
parameter of that name is used.  (That is, the local parameter hides
any less-local parameter.)  However, assigning to a non-existent
parameter, or declaring a new parameter with export, causes it to be
created in the _outer_most scope.

Local parameters disappear when their scope ends.  unset can be used to
delete a parameter while it is still in scope; any outer parameter of
the same name remains hidden.

Special parameters may also be made local; they retain their special
attributes unless either the existing or the newly-created parameter
has the -h (hide) attribute.  This may have unexpected effects: there
is no default value, so if there is no assignment at the point the
variable is made local, it will be set to an empty value (or zero in
the case of integers).  The following:

     typeset PATH=/new/directory:$PATH

is valid for temporarily allowing the shell or programmes called from
it to find the programs in /new/directory inside a function.

Note that the restriction in older versions of zsh that local parameters
were never exported has been removed.


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