Variables | Core Concepts

What are Variables?

Variables are fundamental building blocks in programming used to store data that can be referenced and manipulated throughout your code. In Groq, a modern query language for querying structured content, variables play a crucial role in storing and retrieving data.

Declaring Variables

In Groq, you can declare a variable using the let keyword followed by the variable name and its value. The syntax is straightforward:

let variableName = value;

For example, to declare a variable named title that holds a string value:

let title = "Hello, Groq!";

Using Variables

Once a variable is declared, you can use it in various operations, such as retrieving or manipulating data. Here’s how you can use the title variable:

let greeting = "Welcome to " + title;

This line concatenates the string "Welcome to " with the value of the title variable.

Variable Scope

Scope refers to the visibility of a variable within a certain part of your code. In Groq, variables declared inside a block (like functions or braces) are not accessible outside of that block. This is known as block scope.

let outerVariable = "I am outside!";
{
let innerVariable = "I am inside!";
// This will work
let combined = outerVariable + " " + innerVariable;
}
// This will cause an error
// console.log(innerVariable);

In this example, innerVariable is only accessible within the braces where it was declared.

Constants vs Variables

While variables can change, constants are immutable. In Groq, you can declare a constant using the const keyword:

const pi = 3.14;

This means that the value of pi cannot be changed once it has been assigned.

Conclusion

Understanding variables is crucial for effective programming in Groq. They allow you to store, manipulate, and retrieve data efficiently. By mastering the concepts of variable declaration, usage, scope, and the distinction between variables and constants, you can write more robust and maintainable queries.