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  3. Question on variable naming style (i.e. r versus random)

Question on variable naming style (i.e. r versus random)

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  • C CPallini

    Context rules in variable names. "Hey You" is perfectly acceptable in some circumstances (in addition to song titles), while your full name is required in others (even "Slacker007" is allowed, in suspicious websites).

    S Offline
    S Offline
    Slacker007
    wrote on last edited by
    #14

    :laugh:

    1 Reply Last reply
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    • S Slacker007

      r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

      V Offline
      V Offline
      V 0
      wrote on last edited by
      #15

      It kind off depends? If you have a nested for loop you could use i and j eg as is often done, but I have seen (and have done :sigh: ) situations that ended up in having i, j, k, l, ... or worse i, ii, iii etc... I use simple one character variables or short abbreviations only when it remains clear. for single or double for loops that is i and j. If it becomes more complicated I use more descriptive naming. For StreamWriter I usually use a short name if it is in a "write" method eg. If I would use it throughout the class or if I would use multipe instances, naming would be more descriptive. shorter names tend to make it, for me at least, more easy to read and understand.

      V.
      (MQOTD rules and previous solutions)

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      • S Slacker007

        Just curious as to why you can't actually spell out random instead of using "rnd". Are you really coding that fast and time is so crucial that you can't spell the word out? Just curious, Nagy. :)

        N Offline
        N Offline
        Nagy Vilmos
        wrote on last edited by
        #16

        Simply put, I can't be bothered to type the full word.

        veni bibi saltavi

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        • S Slacker007

          Good points. Question, do you work by yourself, or in a team (a shop). Will there ever be a scenario where 8 months down the road someone else has to maintain your most excellent code?

          L Offline
          L Offline
          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #17

          I have worked in brownfields for over 15 years. I know that code should be readable. In that time I've seen unreadable code due to insanely long names, and I've seen unreadable code due to one-letter naming. You do not choose either, you use what is readable.

          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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          • S Slacker007

            r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

            B Offline
            B Offline
            Brady Kelly
            wrote on last edited by
            #18

            My first coding job was on SAP, and I grew to to like the abbreviated table and column names, where most table names were always four characters, and most column names five, e.g. BKPF-BELNR, or the Accounting Document Header table is BKPF and BELNR is Document Number. This way it's easy to remember after a few months, and there is no uncertainty like in using full names for e.g. underscores vs dashes, misspellings, spaces, etc.

            No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. - Oscar Wilde

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            • S Slacker007

              r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

              A Offline
              A Offline
              Amarnath S
              wrote on last edited by
              #19

              Depends on payment.

              If (paid more, or also paid zero (as in open source)) {
              Use meaningful names
              } else {
              Use cryptic names as a means of self-obfuscation
              }

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              • S Slacker007

                r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                J Offline
                J Offline
                Jorgen Andersson
                wrote on last edited by
                #20

                In the very old times when storage was expensive, you had to shorten the variable names to the extreme levels where "user" was shortened to "usr". Today it's just pointless. There's no point to use overly short variable names outside the fact that you are used to it. You should of course use a name as short as possible, what random stands for would in most cases be obvious from the context of the scope, and only in the few cases where it isn't, or where you need more than one random variable you would need to specify RandomTemp or RandomPostCode. <edit>I should probably add that I find it ok to use abbreviations like sw for StreamWriter when they are standardized, but as soon as there is room for ambiguity I spell them out.</edit>

                Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

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                • B Brady Kelly

                  My first coding job was on SAP, and I grew to to like the abbreviated table and column names, where most table names were always four characters, and most column names five, e.g. BKPF-BELNR, or the Accounting Document Header table is BKPF and BELNR is Document Number. This way it's easy to remember after a few months, and there is no uncertainty like in using full names for e.g. underscores vs dashes, misspellings, spaces, etc.

                  No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. - Oscar Wilde

                  S Offline
                  S Offline
                  Slacker007
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #21

                  No thank you. :confused:

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • S Slacker007

                    r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                    G Offline
                    G Offline
                    glennPattonWork3
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #22

                    TRhank got me thinking the first time I had to code a pointer I used the name pointy (which was released), I tend to use i, j, k for loops and short names like Cars[] for array of Car types (don't ask!) I tend to sw for Stream Writer, sr for Stream Reader. The only place I have had to follow a strict coding style was when I was at uni...

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                    • L Lost User

                      I have worked in brownfields for over 15 years. I know that code should be readable. In that time I've seen unreadable code due to insanely long names, and I've seen unreadable code due to one-letter naming. You do not choose either, you use what is readable.

                      Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                      S Offline
                      S Offline
                      Slacker007
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #23

                      Eddy Vluggen wrote:

                      you use what is readable.

                      I agree. I, and our team, use what is readable. :thumbsup:

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                      • N Nagy Vilmos

                        Simply put, I can't be bothered to type the full word.

                        veni bibi saltavi

                        S Offline
                        S Offline
                        Slacker007
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #24

                        Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                        I can't be bothered to type the full word.

                        :-D Fair enough.

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                        • S Slacker007

                          Meaningful names don't have to be long. We shun long names where I work.

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                          D Offline
                          den2k88
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #25

                          well, "random" is long, longer than "rand" or "rnd" for example. So elementIterator or eleIter or elIt? In a couple of month I'd forget what "elIt" may be, but the complete form is way too long. It really depends and there is nothing exact...

                          Geek code v 3.12 {      GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- r++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X } If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver

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                          • B Brady Kelly

                            My first coding job was on SAP, and I grew to to like the abbreviated table and column names, where most table names were always four characters, and most column names five, e.g. BKPF-BELNR, or the Accounting Document Header table is BKPF and BELNR is Document Number. This way it's easy to remember after a few months, and there is no uncertainty like in using full names for e.g. underscores vs dashes, misspellings, spaces, etc.

                            No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. - Oscar Wilde

                            J Offline
                            J Offline
                            Jorgen Andersson
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #26

                            Explains a lot about SAP.

                            Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • S Slacker007

                              r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriff
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #27

                              I use single character names for iterators, even when nested provided the content of all loops is small enough to see easily:

                              for (int i = 0; ...
                              for (int j = 0; ...
                              ...

                              And I use single characters where they are appropriate: "XCoord" and "YCoord" don't add anything useful to "X" and "Y". And I'll use two or three char names for "disposables" like a streamwriter where I'll create, write, close, and dispose in three or for lines, or for a file dialog:

                              OpenFileDialog ofd = new OpenFileDialog();
                              if (ofd.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
                              {
                              string filepath = ofd.FileName;
                              ...
                              }

                              The rest of the time, it's "sensible", "meaningful" names all the way!

                              Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                              "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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                              • A Agent__007

                                I use "meaningful" names for variables everywhere except for the "throw-away" variables in lambda expressions, for which I always use single char names.

                                You have just been Sharapova'd.

                                L Offline
                                L Offline
                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #28

                                :thumbsup: Same here.

                                How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • S Slacker007

                                  r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                                  R Offline
                                  R Offline
                                  Ravi Bhavnani
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #29

                                  Slacker007 wrote:

                                  My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names.

                                  I concur.  I've never heard any developer complain that someone's code was too clear. :) /ravi

                                  My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • J Jorgen Andersson

                                    In the very old times when storage was expensive, you had to shorten the variable names to the extreme levels where "user" was shortened to "usr". Today it's just pointless. There's no point to use overly short variable names outside the fact that you are used to it. You should of course use a name as short as possible, what random stands for would in most cases be obvious from the context of the scope, and only in the few cases where it isn't, or where you need more than one random variable you would need to specify RandomTemp or RandomPostCode. <edit>I should probably add that I find it ok to use abbreviations like sw for StreamWriter when they are standardized, but as soon as there is room for ambiguity I spell them out.</edit>

                                    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                                    H Offline
                                    H Offline
                                    hakahme
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #30

                                    In loops, "i" and "k" are my gold standard. I'm more verbose in any other place, but "random" might be just the first version. "Self-explanatory" names are subject to refactoring...

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                                    • S Slacker007

                                      r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                                      P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      PIEBALDconsult
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #31

                                      The complexity of the variable name should reflect the size of its scope. The larger the scope, the more complex the name. And limit the scope as much as practical. Don't name a loop variable ThisIsTheVariableThatIsUsedToIndexIntoTheArrayOfUsersWeReceivedFromThePreviousWebMethodCall. ;P

                                      Slacker007 wrote:

                                      r versus random

                                      In .net, you should probably have a private static field to hold an instance of a Random, that means the scope is the whole class, so a good meaningful name is appropriate -- I name mine randy.

                                      Slacker007 wrote:

                                      sw versus streamWriter

                                      I generally use StreamWriters in a small using statement, so sw is appropriate. If the code in the scope becomes too large, then it should be broken into methods -- with a more complex name for the StreamWriter parameter.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • S Slacker007

                                        r versus random. sw versus streamWriter, etc... Our shop only allows single character variable names on iterators, and even then, a meaningful iterator name is desired, especially if you have iterators in nested statements. You have to have something meaningful in the name. What's your take on this? My personal opinion is that you should use meaningful names. I should not have to go to the variable declaration to remember that r is random - you get the point.

                                        M Offline
                                        M Offline
                                        MikeTheFid
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #32

                                        I'm in agreement with many of the replies. I use single letter iterators like i, j, & k for nested for-loops accessing a multi-dimensional array unless: a) scope is too large or b) it's helpful know what the dimensions represent. I personally prefer "reasonably" sized var names (entirely subjective I know) that make it clear what it represents three pages down and 14 months later. I do also follow the guideline, "when in Rome...". If I'm modifying someone else's code, I will adopt their style of brace positioning, commenting, and var naming conventions (e.g. if they use Hungarian notation). The overarching principles for me are readability and clarity later on if I need to augment or fix it.

                                        Cheers, Mike Fidler "I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright "I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright

                                        S 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • M MikeTheFid

                                          I'm in agreement with many of the replies. I use single letter iterators like i, j, & k for nested for-loops accessing a multi-dimensional array unless: a) scope is too large or b) it's helpful know what the dimensions represent. I personally prefer "reasonably" sized var names (entirely subjective I know) that make it clear what it represents three pages down and 14 months later. I do also follow the guideline, "when in Rome...". If I'm modifying someone else's code, I will adopt their style of brace positioning, commenting, and var naming conventions (e.g. if they use Hungarian notation). The overarching principles for me are readability and clarity later on if I need to augment or fix it.

                                          Cheers, Mike Fidler "I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright "I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright

                                          S Offline
                                          S Offline
                                          Slacker007
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #33

                                          :thumbsup:

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