Description: Hoisting in JavaScript is a mechanism that allows variable and function declarations to be moved to the top of their containing scope during the compilation phase. This means that regardless of where a variable or function is declared in the code, JavaScript will recognize them before any line of code is executed. This behavior can lead to confusion, especially for developers new to the language. For example, if you try to access a variable before its declaration, the result will be ‘undefined’ instead of an error, which can give the impression that the variable exists before being defined. Hoisting applies to both functions and variables, although there are differences in how they behave. Function declarations are fully hoisted, meaning they can be invoked before their declaration in the code. In contrast, variables declared with ‘var’ are hoisted, but their initialization is not, which can lead to unexpected behaviors. This concept is fundamental to understanding the execution flow in JavaScript and is crucial for avoiding common programming errors. Understanding hoisting helps developers write more predictable code and avoid surprises during execution.
