code-naming

Code Naming

The Naming Decision Table

You're naming a...	It should read like...	Form	Examples
Class / Type	A noun or noun phrase	PascalCase (most langs)	UserProfile, HttpClient, InvoiceParser
Function / Method	A verb or verb phrase	camelCase or snake_case	validateEmail, send_invoice, calculateTotal
Boolean	A yes/no question	is/has/can/should prefix	isActive, hasPermission, canRetry
Collection	A plural noun	Plural form	users, pendingOrders, activeConnections
Constant	A named fact	UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (most langs)	MAX_RETRY_COUNT, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS
Interface	A capability or contract	Language-specific	Serializable, IDisposable, Reader
Enum	A set of named options	PascalCase values	Color.Red, RetryPolicy.ALLOW_RETRY
Event / Callback	What happened or will happen	Past/present tense	onClick, onUserCreated, handleSubmit

The Three Questions Test

Before committing to a name, verify it answers all three:

1. What is it? — The name identifies what the thing represents
2. What does it do? — For functions: the action is clear from the name alone
3. What are the boundaries? — The name hints at scope, lifetime, or constraints

If a name requires a comment to be understood, the name is wrong.

Naming Antipatterns

Names That Lie

Antipattern	Problem	Fix
accountList when it's a Set	Wrong data structure in name	accounts (just use plural)
processData_v2	Version control in names	Use version control, not naming
getUser() that also logs and caches	Name doesn't reveal side effects	fetchAndCacheUser() or split
isEnabled that modifies state	Query name hides a command	Separate query from mutation

Names That Don't Try

Antipattern	Problem	Fix
data, info, item, thing	Generic to the point of meaningless	Use domain-specific terms
tmp, val, x beyond tiny scope	Forces reader to track mentally	currentTemperature, retryCount
manager, handler, processor	Vague role descriptions	Describe what it manages
utils, helpers, misc	Grab-bag namespaces	Group by domain or operation

Names That Mislead

Antipattern	Problem	Fix
Inconsistent casing	Readers assume variables are lowercase	Follow language conventions exactly
Abbreviations (usrRepo, passwd)	Ambiguous unless universally known	Spell it out: userRepository, password
Noise words (UserData vs UserInfo)	Indistinguishable without reading code	Pick one and be consistent
Negated booleans (isNotActive)	Double negatives in conditions	Use positive: isActive

Names That Over-Specify

Antipattern	Problem	Fix
Hungarian notation (strName, iCount)	Type system already encodes types	Just name, count
Gratuitous prefix (GSDAccountService)	Every class in app has same prefix	Use namespaces/packages
AbstractBase + Impl suffix	Naming the pattern not the concept	UserService + DefaultUserService

Decision Checklist

• Name reveals intent without needing a comment
• Name uses domain vocabulary where applicable
• Name follows language/project conventions
• Name is distinguishable from similar names nearby
• Boolean names read as yes/no questions
• Function names describe the action (verb phrases)
• Class names describe the thing (noun phrases)
• No abbreviations unless universally understood (URL, HTTP, API)