Considering the last code fragment (reported below) about module pattern published in the Code Organization section of the Learning Center, I'm trying to understand some aspect of the module in the example:

1. the variable declarations ($items, $container...) are separated by ";" while the function declarations (createContainer, buildUrl, showItem, ....) are separated by ","...why? Is there a bracket problem?
2. why the name of the first three variables ($items, $container and $currentItem) starts with "$" ? Is this imply a naming convention (since javascript allows the character $) used to identify a DOM fragment variable or is there some other reason?
3. why the function createContainer is declared using "var" while the other functions  (buildUrl, showItem,...) doesn't have "var"?

Thanks in advance

Roberto