API / Apache FreeMarker Interview questions
What is the difference between #assign and #local?
#local can only be used inside a macro or function body, and it creates a variable that is private to that single call - it disappears once the macro returns and never leaks into the calling template's namespace.
<#macro greet name> <#local upperName = name?upper_case> Hello, ${upperName}! </#macro>
#assign used inside that same macro, without #local, does not create a private variable - it still targets the enclosing namespace, which means it can accidentally overwrite a variable of the same name outside the macro. This is a common source of bugs: forgetting #local inside a macro when a truly private helper variable was intended.
What happens to a variable declared with #local inside a macro once the macro returns?
What is a common bug caused by using #assign instead of #local inside a macro?
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