Naming Variables

Overview

The most important consideration in naming a variable is that the name fully and accurately describes the entity the variable represents.

Core principle: A variable and its name are essentially the same thing. The goodness or badness of a variable is largely determined by its name.

Name quality = Design quality. If you struggle to name something well, that's a warning sign about the design.

When to Use

Always use when:

• Naming any variable, function, class, parameter, constant
• Reviewing code with unclear names
• Struggling to understand what a variable does