Editing Name binding (section)

{{short description|Association of data/code with identifiers in programming languages}}
{{for|bound variables in mathematics|free variables and bound variables}}

In [[programming language]]s, '''name binding''' is the association of entities (data and/or code) with [[identifier]]s.<ref name=tkac08>{{Citation |title=Using early binding and late binding in Automation |author=Microsoft |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/245115 |publisher=Microsoft |date=May 11, 2007 |access-date=May 11, 2009}}</ref> An identifier bound to an [[Object (computer science)|object]] is said to [[Reference (computer science)|reference]] that object. [[Machine language]]s have no built-in notion of identifiers, but name-object bindings as a service and notation for the programmer is implemented by programming languages. Binding is intimately connected with [[scoping]], as scope determines which names bind to which objects – at which locations in the program code ([[Scope (computer science)#Lexical_scoping|lexically]]) and in which one of the possible execution paths ([[Scope (computer science)#Dynamic_scoping|temporally]]).

Use of an identifier {{mono|id}} in a context that establishes a binding for {{mono|id}} is called a binding (or defining) occurrence. In all other occurrences (e.g., in [[Expression (computer science)|expressions]], [[Assignment (computer science)|assignments]], and [[subprogram]] calls), an identifier stands for what it is bound to; such occurrences are called applied occurrences.