NAMING CONVENTIONS
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9 - Naming Conventions
Naming conventions make programs more understandable by making them easier to read. They can also give information about the function of the identifier-for example, whether it's a constant, package, or class-which can be helpful in understanding the code.
Identifier Type
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Rules for Naming
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Examples
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Classes
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Class names should be nouns, in mixed case with the first letter of each internal word capitalized. Try to keep your class names simple and descriptive. Use whole words-avoid acronyms and abbreviations (unless the abbreviation is much more widely used than the long form, such as URL or HTML).
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class Raster;
class ImageSprite;
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Interfaces
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Interface names should be capitalized like class names.
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interface DataAccess;
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Methods
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Methods should be verbs, in mixed case with the first letter lowercase, with the first letter of each internal word capitalized.
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run();
runFast();
getBackground();
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Variables
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Except for variables, all instance, class, and class constants are in mixed case with a lowercase first letter. Internal words start with capital letters. Variable names should not start with underscore _ or dollar sign $ characters, even though both are allowed.
Variable names should be short yet meaningful. Variables should be low case
only with parts devided by underscore. The choice of a variable name should be mnemonic- that is, designed to indicate to the casual observer the intent of its use. One-character variable names should be avoided except for
loop counters. Common names for counters are i , j .
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double my_width;
Agent agent;
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Constants
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The names of variables declared class constants and of ANSI constants should be all uppercase with words separated by underscores ("_"). (ANSI constants should be avoided, for ease of debugging.)
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static final int MIN_WIDTH = 4;
static final int GET_THE_CPU = 1;
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