Can I access a function variable form outside?

[2Charlie]

I don't know much about ColdFusion yet. If I declare/cfset a variable inside a function, can I just access that variable directly from anywhere on the .CFM page?

[EddieLotter · Accepted solution]

If you set a variable in a function without specifying var then yes, the variable will become globally accessible.

Cheers

Eddie

[Carl Von Stetten]

As Eddie said, if you don't specify "var myVariable" (or, alternatively if on CF9+, "local.myVariable"), than the variable is globally accessible.  However, this is generally to be avoided as it breaks the principle of encapsulation.  Generally, a function shouldn't pollute the environment around it.  And not scoping variables to remain local to a function can result in race conditions or unintended behavior.