Variable use in get_template_part

As far as I understand (from the get_template_part codex) get_template_part is just a wrapper round the PHP require function.

So if I have a variable that I have create in a page template file e.g. $message, I would have assumed you could directly use that variable in the template part

So in template file:

<?php 
$message="my message";
get_template_part('messages'); 
?>

Then in template part messages.php:

<?php echo $message; ?>

However the echo will display nothing.

D’oh, it just needs a global as its inside a function.

messages.php:

<?php 
global $message; 
echo $message; 
?>