Javascript function scoping and hoisting

Question

I just read a great article about JavaScript Scoping and Hoisting by Ben Cherry in which he gives the following example:

var a = 1;

function b() {
    a =          


        

Answer 1

The function a is hoisted inside function b:

var a = 1; 
function b() { 
   function a() {} 
   a = 10; 
   return;
} 
b(); 
alert(a);

which is almost like using var:

var a = 1; 
function b() { 
   var a = function () {};
   a = 10; 
   return;
} 
b(); 
alert(a);

The function is declared locally, and setting a only happens in the local scope, not the global var.