Why is it important to understand variable scope in PHP when working with functions?

Understanding variable scope in PHP when working with functions is important because it determines where a variable can be accessed within a script. Variables declared inside a function have a local scope and can only be accessed within that function, while variables declared outside of a function have a global scope and can be accessed anywhere in the script. To ensure that variables are accessed correctly within functions, it is crucial to understand and properly manage variable scope. 

$globalVar = "I am a global variable";

function testFunction() {
    $localVar = "I am a local variable";
    echo $localVar; // This will output "I am a local variable"
    echo $globalVar; // This will cause an error since $globalVar is not defined within the function
}

testFunction();
echo $globalVar; // This will output "I am a global variable"

Keywords

Variable scope PHP functions global variables local variables function parameters

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