Avoid using global variables and functions in Javascript

How to alter the JavaScript code below so that i开发者_运维技巧t can avoid exposing the variables and functions to the global scope?

var nMax = 10;
var i = 0;
var step = function(){
                //do stuff
                i += 1;
                if(i < nMax){
                                step();
                }else{
                                alert('finished');
                }
}
step();

Ideally it would be grateful if the reason behind it could be provided.

Any idea would be very much appreciated!

---

Just wrap it in an anonymous function, and call that function immediately:

(function(){
    var nMax = 10;
    var i = 0;
    var step = function(){
                    //do stuff
                    i += 1;
                    if(i < nMax){
                                    step();
                    }else{
                                    alert('finished');
                    }
    }
    step();
})();

Another Example: http://jsfiddle.net/n5Srd/

---

The standard way would be

var step = function(){
  var nMax = 10;
  var i = 0;
  return function() {
                //do stuff
                i += 1;
                if(i < nMax){
                                step();
                }else{
                                alert('finished');
                }
  };
}();
step();

---

An alternative to using a closure: functions are objects, so you can attach values to them just like any other object:

function step()
{
    step.i++;

    if (step.i < step.nMax) step();
    else alert('finished');
}

step();

---

Or, use an object to namespace the function and variables:

var stepper = 
{
    i: 0,
    nMax: 10,
    step: function ()
    {
        this.i++;

        if (this.i < this.nMax) this.step();
        else alert('finished');
    }
};

stepper.step();

---

And here's a cleaner version of @PaulPRO's answer which uses a function declaration rather than a function expression:

(function ()
{
    var i = 0,
        nMax = 10;

    function step()
    {
        i++;

        if (i < nMax) step();
        else alert('finished');
    }

    step();
})();

---

Put in an object so fn gets called via that:-

 var stepHolder = {};
 stepHolder.step = (function(nMax){
 var i = 0;
 return function step(){
            //do stuff
             i += 1;
            if(i < nMax){
                            step();
            }else{
                            alert('finished');
            }
  };}
  )(10);

    stepHolder.step();