Changes for page Expressive Names

Last modified by chrisby on 2023/11/18 17:45

From version 1.5
edited by chrisby
on 2023/11/18 13:27
Change comment: There is no comment for this version
To version 1.1
edited by chrisby
on 2023/11/17 21:51
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

Summary

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1 -Names should be chosen as carefully as one would name their firstborn child.
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3 -**Naming Conventions**
3 +Choose meaningful names.
4 + * Names should be chosen as carefully as the name of his firstborn child.
5 + * Implicity: It should be self-evident from reading the code how it works.
6 +*
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5 -* **Choose Meaningful and Descriptive Names**
6 - * Names should be descriptive of the purpose, e.g., use `unorderedNumbers` and `orderedNumbers` instead of a generic `numbers`.
7 - * Use names that reflect the solution domain and the problem domain.
8 - * Choose one word per concept (e.g. consistently use 'fetch' for the same concept, rather than mixing 'fetch' and 'retrieve').
9 -* **Clarity and Simplicity in Names**
10 - * Names should be self-evident and avoid mental mappings or translations for clarity.
11 - * Avoid ambiguities, such as confusion with similar names or characters (e.g., l and 1, O and 0).
12 - * Make differences clear and avoid very similar expressions.
13 - * Avoid superfluous or redundant context; shorter names are better as long as they are clear.
14 -* **Practical Aspects of Naming**
15 - * Use pronounceable names so that you can easily talk with others about it.
16 - * Use searchable names, meaning names which prevent search conflicts.
17 - * The length of a name should correspond to the size of its scope. E.g. counters only used locally in loops, could be short or even single letters, but names used in a broad scope should be more descriptive and longer.
18 - * Avoid encodings, such as references to the variable's scope or type in its name.
8 +Choose names that are descriptive of the purpose.
9 + * For example, a variables name should stand for one concept. Its better to have a variable unorderedNumbers, which is sorted and stored in orderedNumbers instead of saving both lists in the same variable numbers.
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20 -**Class and Method Naming**
12 +Avoid misinformation.
13 + * For example, ambiguities, confusion with similar names or easily confused characters (l and 1, O and 0).
14 +*
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22 -* **Class Names**
23 - * Should consist of nouns or noun phrases.
24 -* **Method Names**
25 - * Should consist of verbs or verb phrases.
26 - * Follow the JavaBean standard for accessors, mutators, and predicates (prefixes: get, set, is, has).
27 - * Use distinct names for overloaded constructors and prefer private constructors with distinct factory methods.
16 +Make differences clear.
17 + * Avoid very similar expressions.
18 + * Blank words are redundant (a, an, the, info, data).
19 +* Use pronounceable names. Programming is a social activity that people talk about with others.
20 +*
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29 -**General Coding Practices**
22 +Use searchable names.
23 + * The length of a name should correspond to the size of its scope. For local counting loops, one letter is enough; if the variable is used in multiple places in the code, it needs a longer name.
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31 -* **Avoiding Confusion and Misinformation**
32 - * Avoid humorous names, puns, and any names that might cause confusion.
33 -* **Contextual Naming**
34 - * Add meaningful context that complements other variable and method names.
35 - * Dare to rename things for clarity and improvement; colleagues should appreciate these enhancements.
26 +Avoid encodings.
27 + * There should be no references to the scope or type of the variable in the name.
28 +*
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30 +Avoid mental mappings.
31 + * The name of a variable should not have to be mentally translated into another. Clarity has absolute priority.
32 +*
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34 +Class names
35 + * Names of classes consist of nouns or substantivistic expressions.
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38 +Method names
39 + * They consist of a verb or an expression with a verb. Accessors, mutators, and predicates should be named after their value and follow the JavaBean standard (prefixes: get, set, is, has).
40 + * Overloaded constructors can lead to confusion, e.g. if a float is to be passed once and an int once. Constructors should be declared as private and functions should be used to create instances whose names highlight the difference.
41 +* Avoid humorous names.
42 +*
43 +
44 +Choose one word per concept.
45 + * "get" instead of "fetch" and "retrieve".
46 +* No puns.
47 +* Avoid ambiguities as in the word "add" (addition or adding).
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50 +Use names of the solution domain.
51 + * Programmers will read your code, so use technical language.
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54 +Use names of the problem domain.
55 + * If there are no terms from computer science. Then at least domain experts can refer to it.
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58 +Add meaningful context.
59 + * Together with the names of other variables and methods, this context can be created.
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62 +Do not add superfluous context.
63 + * Shorter names are better than longer ones, as long as they are clear. Names should be simple, but meaningful.
64 +* Dare to rename things. Your colleagues should be grateful for improvements.
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