Which of the following is not true about Global Variables:

2025

Which of the following is not true about Global Variables:

  1. A.

    The values of the Global variables which are sent to the called function may be changed inadvertently by the called function.

  2. B.

    Functions are supposed to be independent and isolated modules. This character is lost, if they use global variables.

  3. C.

    It is not immediately apparent to the reader which values are being sent to the called function

  4. D.

    A function that uses global variables does not suffer from reusability.

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Correct answer: D

Answer: The statement "A function that uses global variables does not suffer from reusability." is not true — functions that use global variables do suffer from reduced reusability.

Why this is false:

  • Hidden dependencies: the function relies on external state not visible in its signature, which hinders reuse in other contexts.

  • Side effects: global variables can be modified by different parts of the program, making behavior unpredictable and hard to isolate.

  • Testing and maintenance: functions depending on globals are harder to unit-test and to reason about, reducing maintainability and reusability.

  • Concurrency and namespace issues: globals can cause race conditions in concurrent code and naming collisions in large codebases.

Why the other statements are true:

  • The values of global variables accessed by a called function may be changed inadvertently by that function, producing unexpected side effects.

  • Functions are intended to be independent modules; using globals creates implicit coupling and removes that independence.

  • When functions rely on global variables, it is not immediately apparent which values are being used, hiding dependencies from readers.

Recommendation: prefer passing required data explicitly via parameters, keep functions pure when possible, and minimize use of mutable global state to improve reusability, testability, and maintainability.

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