[basic.scope.declarative] (original) (raw)

Every name is introduced in some portion of program text called adeclarative region, which is the largest part of the program in which that name is valid, that is, in which that name may be used as an unqualified name to refer to the same entity.

In general, each particular name is valid only within some possibly discontiguous portion of program text called its scope.

To determine the scope of a declaration, it is sometimes convenient to refer to thepotential scope of a declaration.

The scope of a declaration is the same as its potential scope unless the potential scope contains another declaration of the same name.

In that case, the potential scope of the declaration in the inner (contained) declarative region is excluded from the scope of the declaration in the outer (containing) declarative region.