> but if you try that in C++ you get a duplicate definition error on i. Not in any standard compiler. I would argue that doing int i; for (i = ...) for (i = ... for (i = ... is bad practice because it leads the reader to think that different variables are actually related. I don't like declaring variables at the top because it leads to this kind of misleading reuse. All variables should have the smallest possible scope. Each variable instance should be used for one and only one purpose. ++PLS