A variable is a place where you can store and retrieve data. Variables have a name, a [type](/microbit/blocks/types), and value:
* *name* is how you'll refer to the variable
* *type* refers to the kind of data a variable can store
* *value* refers to what's stored in the variable
### Var statement
Use the Block Editor variable statement to create a local variable and the [assignment operator](/microbit/reference/variables/assign) to store something in the variable.
For example, this code stores the number `2` in the `num1` variable:
Here's how to define a variable in the Block Editor:
1. Click `variables`.
2. Change the default variable name if you like.
3. Drag a block type on the right-side of the [assignment operator](/microbit/reference/variables/assign) and click the down arrow to change the variable name.
The resulting code should look something like this:
// string variable
// number variable
// boolean variable
// image variable
See [Image](/microbit/blocks/image) for info on creating and using image variables.
The resulting code should look something like this:
A variable is created for the number returned by the [brightness](/microbit/reference/led/brightness) function.
### Using variables
Once you've defined a variable, just use the variable's name whenever you need what's stored in the variable. For example, the following code shows the value stored in `counter` on the LED screen:
To change the contents of a variable use the assignment operator. The following code sets `counter` to 1 and then increments `counter` by 10:
### Why use variables?
Variables help simplify your code. For example, instead of turning on LEDs one by one like this:
You can use a variable (`i`) and a [for loop](/microbit/reference/loops/for) to plot the same series of points (`i` is incremented by 1, each time the loop repeats):
### Local variables
Local variables exist only within the function or block of code where they're defined. For example:
#### Notes
* You can use the default variable names if you'd like, however, it's best to use descriptive variable names. To change a variable name in the editor, select the down arrow next to the variable and then click "new variable".
