Name binding

In programming languages, name binding is the association of entities (data and/or code) with identifiers.

Description

An identifier bound to an object is said to reference that object.

Machine languages have no built-in notion of identifiers, but name-object bindings as a service and notation for the programmer is implemented by programming languages.

Name binding and scope

Binding is intimately connected with scope, as scope determines which names bind to which objects -- at which locations in the program code (lexically) and in which one of the possible execution paths (temporally).

See also

• Branch table - method of applying name binding via branch table or function pointers
• Computer programming
• Computer science
• Data (computing)
• Dynamic dispatch
• Higher-order abstract syntax (HOAS)
• Identifier
• Late binding
• Namespace
• Scope (computer science)

External links

• Name binding @ Wikipedia