Question - declaring and initializing a set of variables all at once.

[nelsonm]

hi all,

In example 1, I know i can declare and initialize a set of variables like this:

var SubTotal = 0.00, Tax = 0.00, SurCharge = 0.00, Total = 0.00;

In example 2, I know this works at initializing the same set all at once:

var SubTotal = TaxRate = SalesTax = SurCharge = SalesTotal = 0.00;

Questions:
1. Am i correct in that while example 2 is initializing all variables at once, only the first variable is being declared and not all?
2. Is Example 1 the only proper way to declare and initialize all at once?

thanks.

[Fotiman]

Example 2 is not declaring TaxRate, SalesTax, SurCharge, or SalesTotal, so those will all implicitly be declared in the global scope (generally best to avoid doing that).
Example 1 is generally going to be a better way, and in fact you could always do something like this:

var SubTotal = 0.00, // COMMENT ABOUT SUBTOTAL
  TaxRate = 0.00, // COMMENT ABOUT TAXRATE
  SalesTax = 0.00, // COMMENT ABOUT SALESTAX
  SurCharge = 0.00, // COMMENT ABOUT SURCHARGE
  SalesTotal = 0.00; // COMMENT ABOUT SALESTOTAL

The benefit to this layout is that it's more obvious what each is being initialized to. In addition, you can include comments about each variable.

[Fotiman]

Note that if you wanted to, you could do something like this, though it's longer, and I think less obvious so I wouldn't recommend it:

var SubTotal = 0.00, // COMMENT ABOUT SUBTOTAL
  TaxRate = SubTotal, // COMMENT ABOUT TAXRATE
  SalesTax = TaxRate, // COMMENT ABOUT SALESTAX
  SurCharge = SalesTax, // COMMENT ABOUT SURCHARGE
  SalesTotal = SurCharge; // COMMENT ABOUT SALESTOTAL

[nelsonm]

thanks Fotiman...

I'll stick with example 1. Btw, i already use your example to allow for comments.