Defining Variables in JavaScript « Running with Code

«This is a principle discussed in Steve McConnell’s Code Complete; the reasoning behind maximization of locality is that the human brain can only comprehend so much at once. (This is, of course, another argument in favor of many, simple, and small subroutines). By delaying the declaration of a variable until it needs to be used, we are able to better-comprehend the meaning of the variable and how its use affects and relates to the rest of the program. As such, I believe that one of the premises for moving these declarations into a combined var statement – specifically, to reflect the hoisting – is a poor rationale.»