title: Bash variable initialization
body: <p>Can variables initialized within if statement (or any other type of loop or function) conditions be used later in the script? The following code appears to be working... but I would like verification as I'm not use to this type of outcome. </p>
  
  <pre><code>if ( &lt;true condition&gt; ); then
      VAR1=1
  fi
  
  echo $VAR1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Real output: 1</p>
  
  <p>Expected output: undefined (as variable has not been initialized </p>