local                        local Statement

    The  local  keyword  is  used  to  define  variables  within a compound
    statement that are local to  the compound statement and that  disappear
    when the compound statement is exited.   The local keyword may be  used
    within any compound statement, but is especially useful in user-defined
    functions as described later.  Variables defined with the local keyword
    may  be  assigned  an  initial  value  in  the  statement  and multiple
    variables may be defined with a single statement.  If a variable is not
    assigned  an  initial  value,  it  is  initialized to zero and the null
    string just as global variables are initialized.

    Thus:

    local i, j = 12, k = substr(str,5);

    will define three variables local to the enclosing compound statement:

    1. i initialized to zero/null string,
    2. j initialized to 12, and
    3. k initialized to a substring of the variable 'str'

    Local  variables  initialized  explicitly  in  local  statements may be
    initialized  to  constants,  the  values  of  global  variables, values
    returned  by  built-in  functions,  values  returned  by   user-defined
    functions or previously defined local  variables.  If the value  is set
    to that of a previously defined local variable, the variable may not be
    defined in the same local statement.  Thus:

    local k = 5;
    local j = k;

    is correct, but

    local k = 5, j = k;

    is not.   In the latter  case  QTAwk will  quietly  assume that  k is a
    global variable.