Good variable names are just as important as clear function names for making code easy to understand. Here are 3 simple rules to make your variable names better:
- Meaningful Names: Replace generic names (like temp or x, y, x) with names that reflect their purpose.
❌ tempData
✅ customerOrder
- Descriptive Naming: Use descriptive terms that explain the content of the variable.
❌ isSomething (unclear what "something" is)
✅ isUserLoggedIn (clear and concise)
- Case Consistency: Pick a case convention (snake_case, camelCase) and stick to it throughout your codebase.
- Snake Case: Lowercase letters with underscores for separation (e.g., total_price)
- Camel Case: Lowercase with the first letter of each word capitalized (e.g., totalPrice)
Bonus Tip: Consider adding prefixes or suffixes for specific variable types (e.g., strFirstName, intEmployeeID).
By following these principles, your variables become self-documenting, improving code readability and maintainability for yourself and your fellow developers.
Consistent naming across functions and variables is key!
Top comments (1)
Lot's of developers are very much against the idea of prepending with data types. I actually find it useful is some situations. What is your experience?