Naming is straightforward! A information for builders

Sheer laziness

Whereas naming issues isn’t arduous, it does take a little bit of thought. I suppose some of us simply don’t need to take the time to consider naming issues. I’m not even going to speak about how foolish it’s to make use of a single letter for a variable identify. The one exception I’ll quarter is utilizing i because the variable in a loop. (However I’ll argue vehemently that Index is healthier.)

In any other case, give a variable a very good, full identify. Certain, it might take some effort, however when you cease and ask, “What, precisely, is that this factor?” after which identify it primarily based on what your reply is, you’ll have a terrific identify. As an example, when you really feel the necessity to do that:

If (EmployeeNumber > 0) and (OrderNumber >  0) {
 // ...
}

Don’t be afraid to go the additional mile:

EmployeeIsValid = EmployeeUniqueIDInDatabase > 0;
ThereIsAnOrder = OrderNumber > 0;
ItIsOkayToProcessTheOrder := EmployeeIsValid and ThereIsAnOrder;
If ItIsOkayToProcessTheOrder {
  // ...
}

That’s massively extra readable, and the variable names clearly clarify what they symbolize. It could be very arduous to confuse what is going on there, and it reduces the cognitive load of the subsequent developer, who now not has to parse advanced boolean statements.