---
url: /docs/guide/usage/linter/rules/eslint/init-declarations.md
---

### What it does

Require or disallow initialization in variable declarations.

### Why is this bad?

In JavaScript, variables can be assigned during declaration, or at any point afterwards using an assignment statement.
For example, in the following code, `foo` is initialized during declaration, while `bar` is initialized later.

```js
var foo = 1;
var bar;
if (foo) {
  bar = 1;
} else {
  bar = 2;
}
```

### Examples

Examples of incorrect code for the default `"always"` option:

```js
/* init-declarations: ["error", "always"] */
function foo() {
  var bar;
  let baz;
}
```

Examples of incorrect code for the `"never"` option:

```js
/* init-declarations: ["error", "never"] */
function foo() {
  var bar = 1;
  let baz = 2;
  for (var i = 0; i < 1; i++) {}
}
```

Examples of correct code for the default `"always"` option:

```js
/* init-declarations: ["error", "always"] */

function foo() {
  var bar = 1;
  let baz = 2;
  const qux = 3;
}
```

Examples of correct code for the `"never"` option:

```js
/* init-declarations: ["error", "never"] */

function foo() {
  var bar;
  let baz;
  const buzz = 1;
}
```

Examples of correct code for the `"never", { "ignoreForLoopInit": true }` options:

```js
/* init-declarations: ["error", "never", { "ignoreForLoopInit": true }] */
for (var i = 0; i < 1; i++) {}
```

## Configuration

### The 1st option

type: `"always" | "never"`

### The 2nd option

This option is an object with the following properties:

#### ignoreForLoopInit

type: `boolean`

default: `false`

When set to `true`, allows uninitialized variables in the init expression of `for`, `for-in`, and `for-of` loops.
Only applies when mode is set to `"never"`.

## How to use

## Version

This rule was added in v0.15.11.

## References