Action Evaluates expression and assigns the resulting value to identifier.
Examples local (x);
x = 3 * 4
» 12
The assignment statement causes the value of the expression “3 * 4” to be stored in the local variable “x”.
scratchpad.when = clock.now ()
» 11/11/91; 7:36 PM
In this case the expression “clock.now ()” yielded a date value, which was then assigned to the cell named “when” in the table named “scratchpad.” (The “when” cell need not have already existed.)
Notes • The identifier need not specify an existing database cell; the assignment statement will create an item with the given name in the specified table. If no table is specified, a new local variable is created in the code block where a local statement or a local script definition was most recently encountered.
• While assigning values to variables without declaring them can be a timesaver, it is generally bad practice; as a script becomes more complex, it quickly becomes easy to unintentionally modify a variable in an enclosing scope level.
