NAME
  variable - create and initialize a namespace variable

SYNOPSIS
  variable ?name value...? name ?value?

DESCRIPTION
  This command is normally used within a namespace eval command to create
  one or more variables within a namespace. Each variable name is
  initialized with value. The value for the last variable is optional.

  If a variable name does not exist, it is created. In this case, if value
  is specified, it is assigned to the newly created variable. If no value
  is specified, the new variable is left undefined. If the variable
  already exists, it is set to value if value is specified or left
  unchanged if no value is given. Normally, name is unqualified (does not
  include the names of any containing namespaces), and the variable is
  created in the current namespace. If name includes any namespace
  qualifiers, the variable is created in the specified namespace.

  If the variable command is executed inside a Tcl procedure, it creates
  local variables linked to the corresponding namespace variables. In this
  way the variable command resembles the global command, although the
  global command only links to variables in the global namespace. If any
  values are given, they are used to modify the values of the associated
  namespace variables. If a namespace variable does not exist, it is
  created and optionally initialized.

  A name argument cannot reference an element within an array. Instead,
  name should reference the entire array, and the initialization value
  should be left off. After the variable has been declared, elements
  within the array can be set using ordinary set or array commands.

SEE ALSO
  global namespace