The document provides guidelines for naming conventions in programming. It recommends using full English descriptions for names, with initial lowercase letters and words separated by underscores. Proper names should be capitalized while other words use sentence case. Descriptive names are preferred over short cryptic names. Context should be provided when deviating from a standard.

1. A good de v l r k now s t at
e ope h
t e re is m ore t de v l
h o e opm e nt J A NAM ING
AV
t an program m ing.
h CO NVENTIO NS
A gre at de v l r k now s t at
e ope h
Al ays us e (a f w e xce pt
w e ions dis cus s e d
t e re is m ore t de v l
h o e opm e nt be l ) f l
ow ulEngl h de s cript . Us e l e r
is ors ow
t an de v l
h e opm e nt. cas e lt e rs in ge ne ralbut capit ize t e
e t , al h
f t lt e r of cl s /int rf
irs e t as e ace nam e s and
W h e n you go agains t a s t andard, t e f t lt e r of any non-init w ord
h irs e t ial
docum e nt it Als t
. l andards , e xce pt f or
t is one , can be brok e n. Y m us t
h ou
docum e nt w h y you brok e t eh Ge ne ralConce pts
standard, t e pot nt im pl ions
h e ial icat Us e t rm inol appl
e ogy icabl t t e dom ain
e o h
of bre ak ing t e s t
h andard, and any Us e m ixe d cas e f re adabily
or it
condit ions t at m ay/ us t occur
h m Us e s h ort f orm s s paringl and int l nt y
y e lige l
be fore t e s t
h andard can be appl d t
ie o Av oid l ong nam e s (< 15 ch aract rs )
e
t is s it ion.
h uat Av oid nam e s t at are s im il or
h ar
dif e r onl in cas e
f y
I m
te Exam pl
e Nam ing conv ntion
e
Argum e nt /
s cus t e r , account , - or
om F l
ulEngl h de s cript of val / e ct be ing
is ion ue obj
param e t rs
e - aCus t e r , anAccount
om pas s e d, pos s ibl pre f
y ixing t e nam e w it ‘a’ or ‘an.’
h h
F l /prope rt s
ie ds ie f t
irs Nam e , l t
as Nam e , F l
ulEngl h de s cript
is ion, 1s t lt e r l e rcas e ,
e t ow
w arpSpe e d 1s t lt e r of any non-init w ord in uppe rcas e
e t ial
Boolan ge t e r
e t is P rs is t nt , is St
e e () ring() P f d w it ‘is ’
e ixe h
m e m be r functions , is Ch aract r()
e
Cl s e s
as Cus t e r ,
om F l
ulEngl h de s cript
is ion, w it t e f t lt e rs
h h irs e t
Savings Account of alw ords capit ize d
l al
Com pil ion unit
at Savings Account av ,
.j a Nam e of cl s / e rf ;if > 1 cl s in f e , pre f d
as int ace as il ixe
fes
il Singlte on.j a
av w it ‘.j
h ava’ t indicat it a s ource code f e .
o e 's il
Com pone nt /
s ok But on , cus t e rL t ,
t om is F l
ulEngl h de s cript
is ion de s cribing us age ;type
w idge ts f e M e nu
il of t e com pone nt concat nat d ont t e e nd.
h e e o h
Contructors Cus t e r() ,
om Us e t e nam e of t e cl s
h h as
Savings Account ()
De structors final ()
ize W ilinv e f
l ok inal () m e m be r f
ize unction be fore
an obj ct is garbage col ct d
e l e
e
Exce ptions e It is ge ne ral acce pt d t us e t e lt e r ‘e ’
ly e o h e t
t re pre s e nt e xce pt
o ions
Final at f l
St ic ie ds M IN_BALANCE , Uppe rcas e lt e rs , w ords s e parat d by unde r-
e t e
/cons t s
ant D EFAUL ATE
T_D s core s . Be t e r: f
t inal t ic ge t e r m e m be r f
s at t unctions
Ge t e r m e m be r
t ge t irs t
F Nam e () , P f t e nam e of t e f l be ing acce s s e d
re ix h h ie d
funct ions ge t arpSpe e d()
W w it ‘ge t
h ’
Int rf s
e ace Runnabl , P
e rom pt r ,
e F l
ulEngl h de s cr. conce pt of int rf , 1s t lt e rs
is e ace e t
Singlt
e on of w ords cap'd. P tf nam e w ith ‘abl,’ ‘ibl,’ or ‘e r’
os ix e e
Local ariabls
v e grandT al cus t e r ,
ot , om F l
ulEngl h de s cript
is ion, 1s t lt e r in l e r
e t ow
ne w Account cas e but do not h ide e xis ting f l / ie l
ie ds f ds
Loop count rs
e i , j, k , count r
e It is ge ne ral acce pt d t us e t e lt e rs i , j
l
y e o h e t
, or k , or t e nam e ‘count r .’
h e
P age
ack ca.uv ic.ne ptune .pe r- Se e Cl s e s - Gl
as obal pack age s : re v rs e nam e
e
s is t nce .m apping
e of Int rne t dom ain & pos t ix t e pack age nam e .
e f h
M e m be r Functions ope nF e () , addAccount
il () F l
ulEngl h de s cript of w h at it doe s s t ing
is ion art
w it act e v rb if pos s ibl, 1s t lt e r in l e r cas e
h iv e e e t ow
Se t e r m e m be r
t s e t as t
L Nam e () , P f t e nam e of t e f l be ing acce s s e d
re ix h h ie d
funct ions s e t arpSpe e d()
W w it ‘s e t
h ’

2. J A D O CUM ENT
AV ATIO N J A CO D ING
AV
Ge ne ralConce pts
CO NV ENTIO NS CO NVENTIO NS
Com m e nt s h oul add t cl y
s d o arit
If it is n’ w ort docum e nt
t h ing,
Rul of t um b : if you’ e ne v r s e e n t e
e h v e h it is n’ w ort running
t h 9 9 .9 % of t e t e it is m ore im port
h im ant
code be f , w h at docum e nt ion w oul
ore at d No de corat ion /banne r-l e com m e nt
ik s t program f your f l
o or e low Your code m us t b e
you ne e d t q uick l unde rs t
o y and it Ke e p com m e nt s im pl
s e de v l rs t an f t e m ach ine
e ope h or h unde rs tandab l t ot e rs
e o h
W rit docum e nt ion b e f
e at ore w rit ing code
W h y ~ not W h at
Jav com m e nt type s
a
D ocum e nt ion Im m e diat l be f
at e y ore de cl ions
arat /** Acce s s or m e m b e r functions Cons ide r us ing l init izat
azy ial ion f f l in t e dat
or ie ds h abas e
of int rf s , cl s e s , m e m be r
e ace as Customer – A customer is any Us e acce s s ors f obt
or aining and m odif ying alf l
lie ds
funct ions and f l t docum e nt
ie ds o person or organization that we
t e m . Th e s e are proce s s e d by
h sell services and products to. Us e acce s s ors f ‘cons t s ”
or ant
j adoc t cre at e xt rnal
av o e e @author S.W. Ambler F col ct
or l ions , add m e m be r f
e unct ions t ins e rt and
o
docum e nt ion f a cl s .
at or as */ re m ov it m s
e e
C St e C-s t e com m e nt t dis abl
yl yl s o e /* W h e ne v r pos s ibl, m ak e acce s s ors prot ct d, not publ
e e e e ic
l s of code t at are no l
ine h onge r Commented out by J.T. Kirk on 1/1/03
appl icabl, but t at you w ant t
e h o replaced by preceding code. Delete Fie l F l s h oul al ays be de cl d priv e
ds ie ds d w are at
k e e p j t in cas e ~ or w h il
us e after 2 years if still not applicable
de bugging. . . . (the source code ) D o not dire ct y acce s s f l , ins t ad us e acce s s or
l ie ds e
*/ m e m be r funct ions
Singl l
e ine Us e s ingl l com m e nt
e ine s // Apply a 5% discount to all D o not us e f inal t ic f l (cons t s ), ins t ad us e
s at ie ds ant e
int rnal w it in m e m be r
e l
y h // invoices over $1000 as defined by acce s s or m e m be r functions
funct ions t docum e nt bus ine s s
o // the Sarek generosity campaign D o not h ide nam e s
logic, code s e ctions and // started in Feb 1995 Al ays init ize s t ic f l
w ial at ie ds
de cl ions of t m porary
arat e
v ariabls .
e
Cl s e s
as M inim ize t e publ and prot ct d int rf s
h ic e e e ace
Argum e nt /param e t rs Th e t
s e ype of t e param e t r
h e De f ine t e publ int rf
h ic e ace f a cl s be f
or as ore you be gin
W h at it s h oul be us e d f
d or coding it
Any re s t ions or pre condit
rict ions D e cl t e f l and m e m be r f
are h ie ds unctions of a cl s in t e
as h
Fie l /
Exam pls
ds prope rt s It de s cript
ie s
e
ion
W H AT t o f l ing orde r:
ol ow
D ocum e nt alappll icabl inv
e ariant s docum e nt · cons t ruct ors
Exam pls e ·f inal ()
ize
Concurre ncy is s ue s
V ibily de cis ions
is it · publ m e m be r f
ic unct ions
Cl s e s Th e purpos e of t e cl s
as h as · prot ct d m e m be r f
e e unct ions
Know n bugs · priv e m e m be r f
at unct ions
Th e de v l e opm e nt m aint nance h is t
/ e ory of t e cl s
h as
D ocum e nt appl icabl inve ariant s · priv e f l
at ie d
Th e concurre ncy s t e gy rat
Com pil ion unit Each cl s / e rf
at s as int ace de f d in t e cl s , incla brie f de s cript
ine h as . ion Local ariab ls
v e D o not h ide nam e s
Th e f e nam e and/ ide nt ying inf
il or if orm at ion
Copyrigh t inf orm at ion D e cl one l
are ocal ariabl pe r l of code
v e ine
Ge t e r m e m b e r f
t unct ion D ocum e nt w h y l init izat
azy ial ion w as us e d, if appl icabl e D ocum e nt local ariabls w it an e ndl com m e nt
v e h ine
Int rf
e ace s Th e purpos e
H ow it s h oul and s h oul t be us e d
d dn’ D e cl l
are ocal ariabls im m e diat l be f
v e e y ore t e ir us e
h
Local ariab ls It us e /
v e s purpos e Us e local ariabls f one t ing onl
v e or h y
M e m b e r Funct ions W h at and w h y t e m e m be r f
h unct ion doe s w h at it doe s
(D ocum e nt ion) W h at a m e m be r f
at unct ion m us t be pas s e d as param e t rs e
W h at a m e m be r f unct ion re t urns Me m be r functions D ocum e nt your code
Know n bugs P aragraph your code
Any e xce pt ions t at a m e m be r f
h unct ion t row s
h Us e w h it s pace , one l be f
e ine ore cont s t
rol ruct s and t o
ure w
V ibily de cis ions
is it Th is t xt is a s um m ary of be f m e m be r f
e
H ow a m e m be r f unct ion ch ange s t e obj ct
h e ore unct ion
Incl ude a h is t ory of any code ch ange s Scot Am b lr's 'W rit
t e ing de cl ions
arat
Exam pls of h ow t inv e t e m e m be r f
e o ok h unct ion if appropriate Rob us t J a Code '
av A m e m be r f unction s h oul be unde rs t
d andabl in ls s t an
e e h
Appl icabl pre condit
e ions and pos t condit ions
D ocum e nt alconcurre ncy
l t irt s e conds
h y
M e m b e r Funct ions Cont s t rol ruct s ure
Th e Am b ySof Inc.
t
W rit s h ort s ingl com m and l s
e , e ine
(Int rnal
e com m e nt ) W h y, as w e las w h at t e code doe s
s l , h Coding St andards f or
Re s trict t e v ibily of a m e m be r f
h is it unction as m uch as
L ocal ariabls
v e J a-v
av 17.01d
D if iculor com plx code
f t e pos s ible
Th e proce s s ing orde r
Pack age Th e rat ional f t e pack age
e or h Th is layout b y M aik e D ul Spe cif t e orde r of ope rat
k y h ions
Th e cl s e s in t e pack age
as h