What is a characteristic of local variables in the BASH shell?

In the BASH shell, local variables are characterized by their limitation to the scope of the current shell. This means that a local variable is only accessible within the shell session or script where it is defined. Once you exit the shell session or the script completes execution, local variables are no longer available, and their values are lost.

This is in contrast to environment variables, which can be accessed by child processes and persist as long as their parent shell is active. Local variables are essential for temporary data storage during a session without affecting the overall environment or other running processes. Moreover, since local variables don't carry over to child processes, they help avoid unintended interactions with other parts of the system. Thus, their definition and lifecycle play a crucial role in script and shell management.