Help: "local list" does not work in defining a new function?

Hi,
     Today I wrote a function "numInt( int[1]: integer)" to count the number of an integer number "int".
     I have placed the variable "int" into the local list in this self-defined function. However, the "local list" seems not working for me, because my self-defined function("numInt") changed the value of "int" , and assigned that new value back to the variable "INT" in the main program. This means, I will definitely get a wrong result if I use the variable "INT" in the main program a second time after calling the function "numInt( int[1]: integer)" .

    I simplified the script and attached it behind this letter. The detailed information are also as the following:

>ncl -x t.local.ncl
 Copyright (C) 1995-2011 - All Rights Reserved
 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
 NCAR Command Language Version 6.0.0
 The use of this software is governed by a License Agreement.
 See http://www.ncl.ucar.edu/ for more details.
+ ;------------------------l------xf-----------------------
+ ; Contour the number of the integers of the input numeric value.
+ undef ("numInt")
+ function numInt(int[1]:integer)
+ local int,numI,intTem ; Placing the local variable's name "int" in the local list !
+ begin
+ numI=0
+ do while (int .ne. 0)
+ int = int/10
+ numI = numI+1
+ end do
+
+ return(numI)
+ end
+
+ ;---------------
+ ; Main program
+ begin
+ INT= 1980
+ print(INT) ; The value in the main program is 1980!
+ num_nt = numInt(INT) ; Call a function.
+ print (" Number of the integers of "+INT+" is "+num_nt)
+ print(INT) ; The value changed to 0. Oberviously, it is changed by the local variable in function "numInt".
+ end

Variable: INT
Type: integer
Total Size: 4 bytes
            1 values
Number of Dimensions: 1
Dimensions and sizes:[1]
Coordinates:
(0)1980
(0) Number of the integers of 0 is 4

Variable: INT
Type: integer
Total Size: 4 bytes
            1 values
Number of Dimensions: 1
Dimensions and sizes:[1]
Coordinates:
(0)0
+
+

    Any suggestions or comments are appreciated.

Best Regards,
Li

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