MySQL: @variable vs. variable. What's the difference?

Question

In another question I posted someone told me that there is a difference between:

@variable

and:

variable

Answer 1

MSSQL requires that variables within procedures be DECLAREd and folks use the @Variable syntax (DECLARE @TEXT VARCHAR(25) = 'text'). Also, MS allows for declares within any block in the procedure, unlike mySQL which requires all the DECLAREs at the top.

While good on the command line, I feel using the "set = @variable" within stored procedures in mySQL is risky. There is no scope and variables live across scope boundaries. This is similar to variables in JavaScript being declared without the "var" prefix, which are then the global namespace and create unexpected collisions and overwrites.

I am hoping that the good folks at mySQL will allow DECLARE @Variable at various block levels within a stored procedure. Notice the @ (at sign). The @ sign prefix helps to separate variable names from table column names - as they are often the same. Of course, one can always add an "v" or "l_" prefix, but the @ sign is a handy and succinct way to have the variable name match the column you might be extracting the data from without clobbering it.

MySQL is new to stored procedures and they have done a good job for their first version. It will be a pleaure to see where they take it form here and to watch the server side aspects of the language mature.