Bash - create local variable in function

In this article, we would like to show you how to create local variable in function using Bash.

Quick solution:

my_function() {
    local variable_name  # local variable
}

Hint: it is possible to create and initialize variable by using local variable_name="Some value here...".

Practical example

In this example, we use local keyword to create a local variable inside a function.

When we increment and print the function inside the for loop within the function, it works fine. However, when we try to use it outside the function, it can't be found since it's outside the scope.

#!/bin/bash

my_function() {
    local i  # local variable

    for i in 1 2 3; do
        echo "inside function: i = $i"
    done
}

my_function

echo "outside function: i = $i"