Clean code - Meaningful names
We name our variables, arguments, functions, classes, packages, etc. These are rules for improve our naming skills:
Use Intention-Revealing Names
The name of a variable, function or class should answer all the big questions. It should tell you why it exists, what it does, and how it is used. If a name requires a comment, then the name does not reveal its intent.
int d; //elapsed time in days
Instead you can use:
int elapsedTimeInDays;
Avoid Disinformation
Avoid words whose meanings vary from our intended meaning. For example, do not refer to a grouping of accounts as an accountList unless it’s actually a List.
Make Meaningful Distinctions
Noise words are meaningless distinction. Imagine that you have a Product class. If you have another called ProductInfo or ProductData, you have made the names different without making them mean anything different.
In the absence of specific conventions, the variable moneyAmount is indistinguishable from money, customerInfo is indistinguishable from customer, accountData is indistinguishable from account, and theMessage is indistinguishable from message. Distinguish names in such a way that the reader knows what the differences offer.
Use Pronounceable Names
Make your names pronounceable. If you can’t pronounce it, you can’t discuss it without sounding like an idiot.
private Date genymdhms; //(generation date, year, month, day, hour, minute, second)
Instead you can use:
private Date generationTimestamp;
Use Searchable Names
Single-letter names and numeric constants have a particular problem in that they are not easy to locate across a body of text. One might easily grep for MAX_CLASSES_PER_STUDENT, but the number 7 could be more troublesome. Single-letter names should only be used as local variables inside short methods, like for loops.
Class Names
Classes and objects should have noun or noun phrase names like Customer, WikiPage, Account, and AddressParser. Avoid words like Manager, Processor, Data, or Info in the name of a class. A class name should not be a verb.
Method Names
Methods should have verb or verb phrase names like postPayment, deletePage, or save. Accessors, mutators, and predicates should be named for their value and prefixed with get, set, and is.
When constructors are overloaded, use static factory methods with names that describe the arguments.
Pick One Word per Concept
Pick one word for one abstract concept and stick with it. For instance, it’s confusing to have fetch, retrieve, and get as equivalent methods of different classes. How do you remember which method name goes with which class?
Conclusion
The hardest thing about choosing good names is that it requires good descriptive skills.
People are afraid of renaming thing for fear that some other developers will object.
Follow some of these rules to improve the readability of your code.
Excerpt From: Martin, Robert C. “Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship.”
