Localize References to Variables The code between references to a variable is a “window of vulnerability.” In the window, new code might be added, inadvertently altering the variable, or someone reading the code might forget the value the variable is supposed to contain. It’s always a good idea to localize references to variables by keeping them close together. The idea of localizing references to a variable is pretty self-evident, but it’s an idea that lends itself to formal measurement. One method of measuring how close together the references to a variable are is to compute the “span” of a
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