C++ scoping of variables

As you saw in the previous chapter the compiler will compile your source files as individual items called translation units. The compiler will determine the objects and variables you declare and the types and functions you define, and once declared you can use any of these in the subsequent code within the scope of the declaration. At its very broadest, you can declare an item at the global scope by declaring it in a header file that will be used by all of the source files in your project. If you do not use a namespace it is often wise when you use such global variables to name them as being part of the global namespace:

    // in version.h     extern int version;      // in version.cpp     #include "version.h"   version = 17; ...

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