Code Smell 96 - My Objects

#oop #programming #webdev #tutorial

You don't own objects.

TL;DR: don't use my as a name prefix.

Problems

Lack of context
Bijection Fault

Solutions

Remove my prefix.
Change to a role suggesting name.

Context

Several old tutorials use the word 'my' as a lazy name.
This is vague and lead to context mistakes.

Sample Code

Wrong

MainWindow myWindow = Application.Current.MainWindow as MainWindow;

Right

MainWindow salesWindow = Application.Current.MainWindow as MainWindow;

/*

Since window is instanciated, we are currently working
with a specialized window playing a special role

*/

Detection

[x] Automatic

We can tell our linters and static checkers to search for this prefix and warn us.

Conclusion

Avoid using my. Objects change according to the usage context.

More Info

What exactly is a name - Part II Rehab

Maxi Contieri ・ May 23 '21

#tutorial #codenewbie #programming #webdev

Credits

Photo by Michał Bożek on Unsplash

Thinking about my experience of modifying code, I see that I spend much more time reading the existing code than I do writing new code. If I want to make my code cheap, therefore, I should make it easy to read.

Kent Beck