---
url: /statelake/scripting-reference/variables/local-variables.md
---

# Local Variables

The special **Local Variables** named **Local1** through to **Local5** are automatically declared within the script engine. You do not need to declare these yourself to use them.

They are declared as follows.

```pascal
var Local1 : Variant;
var Local2 : Variant;
. . .
var Local5 : Variant;
```

**Local Variables** are local to each event.

Therefore, if you have 2 fields that you are mapping, then each of their **OnMap** events will contain a separate set of **Local Variables**. If you set **Local1** to a value in field 1 **OnMap**, you will not be able to read that value through **Local1** in the field 2 **OnMap**, and you will also not be able to read it from field 1 **BeforeMap**.

**Local** variables are also **persistent**. This means that it will retain its value between each execution of the script in which it is used.

If in the first execution of the field 1 **OnMap** you set the value to 10, it will retain this value the next time the field 1 **OnMap** script executes. This script will execute once for each record that is processed by the **Map**.

An example of using **Local** variables is as below.

```pascal
procedure ScriptEvent (var Value : variant);
begin
 if Local1 = null then Local1 := 0;
  Local1 := Local1 + 1;
  LogInfo('Do something here');
end;
```

The above example uses **Local1** to implement a counter, and will count how many times this event has been executed. The first line initialises the **Local1** variable to 0. This is necessary and will only fire the first time the script is executed. The second line increments the value of **Local1** by 1 each time the event executes.