Question about Private

[Hammy]

I am looking at the following code, and wondering about the variable declarations before the Page_Load event. Specifically, I am wondering why they would declare them as private. I understand that private means that the code is only available to the scope it is declared in, but I am wondering what declaring a gobal page variable as private acomplishes.

<script runat="server">
	Private i as Integer
	Private strOutPut as String = ""
	
	Sub Page_Load(obj as Object, e as EventArgs)
		dim xmldoc as new XMLDocument()
		
		try 
			xmldoc.Load(Server.MapPath(("books.xml"))
			ShowTree(xmlDoc.DocumentElement)
			
		catch ex as Exception
			strOutput = "Error accessing XML file"
		end try
		
		output.Text = strOutput
	End Sub
</script>

 

[PlausiblyDamp]

It means the variable is available to all functions in the current page, although in the code posted above is totally redundant and strOutPut could have been declared within the Page_Load anyway...

 

[Hammy]

It means the variable is available to all functions in the current page, although in the code posted above i is totally redundant and strOutPut could have been declared within the Page_Load anyway...

Sorry, there was actually another function that makes use of i and strOutPut that I didn't post. OK, do I guess what is confusing me is why bother with the private? I mean if the variables are available to all functions in the current page, what's the difference with a simple dim?

Here's another one I am looking at...whay make i,j & strOutput private and xmlDoc public?

Sorry to be a pain, but I am really trying to figure out why one would choose to make these variables private, public, or just a simple dim.

<%@ Page Language="VB" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Xml" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data.OleDb" %>

<script runat=server>
   private i, j as integer
   private strOutput as string = ""
   public xmldoc as new XMLDataDocument()
   
   sub Page_Load(obj as object, e as eventargs)
      if not Page.IsPostBack then
         GetData()
         BindControl()
      end if
   end sub
   
   sub UpdateBtn_Click(obj as object, e as eventargs)
      dim Title as TextBox
      dim Genre as TextBox
      dim Style as TextBox
      dim Price as TextBox
      
      GetData()
      
      'update data
      For i = 0 To DataGrid1.Items.Count-1
         Title = DataGrid1.Items(i).FindControl("Title")
         Genre = DataGrid1.Items(i).FindControl("Genre")
         Style = DataGrid1.Items(i).FindControl("Style")
         Price = DataGrid1.Items(i).FindControl("Price")
      
         xmldoc.DataSet.Tables(0).Rows(i)("title") = _
            Title.Text
         xmldoc.DataSet.Tables(0).Rows(i)("genre") = _
            Genre.Text
         xmldoc.DataSet.Tables(0).Rows(i)("style") = _
            Style.Text
         xmldoc.DataSet.Tables(0).Rows(i)("price") = _
            Price.Text
      Next
      
      try
         xmldoc.Save(Server.MapPath("books.xml"))
      catch
         output.Text = "Error updating data"
      end try
      
      BindControl()
   end sub
   
   sub GetData()
      try
         xmldoc.DataSet.ReadXml(Server.MapPath("books.xml"))
      catch ex as Exception
         output.Text = "Error accessing XML file"
      end try
   end sub
   
   sub BindControl()
      DataGrid1.DataSource = xmldoc.DataSet
      DataGrid1.DataMember = xmldoc.DataSet.Tables(0). _
         TableName
      DataGrid1.DataBind()
   end sub
</script>