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How to name things in programming

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Re: How to name things in programming

#51

Post by dkersten »

Slide 41: "If you don't know what a thing should be called, you cannot know what it is. If you don't know what it is, you cannot sit down and write the code."

A few years ago, I programmed in Max/MSP (max4live, technically) for a while and one thing I found super-refreshing is the ease at which you could prototype and experiment your way to a solution just by not having to figure out what something should be called until you were good and ready. Ever since that time, I found that naming things is a big hindrance to evolving code from an experiment to a solution. Names get in the way until you're sure what the code is supposed to do (at which point, the above quote is true and you should be able to give it a descriptive name).

Re: How to name things in programming

#53

Post by cies »

anon4 wrote: post #49
cies wrote: post #34

Thanks for the thorough write-up Peter! This pack of slides addresses "naming things" to depth that it could have been a little book... I miss a few things though. 1. Short functions can use abbrevs; because I can keep track of them. 2. "text_correction_by_editor" might convey a lot more info then "edit"; especially in code where "edit" (and derivative) are heavily overloaded. For instance I can imagine "text_correct…

Java class names are like Haskell function types. In fact, there are libraries that can autogenerate implementations for database logic by the name of the interface and methods alone, much like you can guess what the function does just by the types it operates on.

> Java class names are like Haskell function types.

They are conventions (like Haskell types) but they lack the laws.

Re: How to name things in programming

#54

Post by ajuc »

Kiro wrote: post #44
ajuc wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am suspicious of names containing "and". I agree about clarity over everything else, but then why even make a function if all it does is calling 2 functions in sequence, and you can't name it on higher level of abstraction? In this case wouldn't [x+1 for x in input_list.reversed()] be even clearer? True, functions allow you to change code in one place and affect many places (so they prevent "forgot to update one pl…

> but then why even make a function if all it does is calling 2 functions in sequence How else would you execute the functions? What initiates them?

The "and you can't name it on higher level of abstraction" part is important.

Re: How to name things in programming

#55

Post by jkire »

dkersten wrote: post #51

Slide 41: "If you don't know what a thing should be called, you cannot know what it is. If you don't know what it is, you cannot sit down and write the code." A few years ago, I programmed in Max/MSP (max4live, technically) for a while and one thing I found super-refreshing is the ease at which you could prototype and experiment your way to a solution just by not having to figure out what something should be called u…

I agree, though there is a difference between being able to explain something and naming it. I've been known to forget the word "door", but I could quite happily explain how it worked.

Re: How to name things in programming

#56

Post by ajuc »

Kiro wrote: post #45
squidbidness wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is where "first write good code" applies, at the design level. This function is begging to be two separate, composable functions that each only do one thing. reverse(addToEach(input_list, 1))

But what calls "reverse(addToEach(input_list, 1))" if not another function?

Hopefully a function that can be corectly named.

Re: How to name things in programming

#57

Post by rwallace »

g1236627 wrote: post #12

I agree with everything except abbreviations, but to be honest, I think my worst habit it just trying to use words with the same number of characters for different variables so they align well with monospace font. e.g. int num = 42; int acc = 0; instead of; int n = 42; int acc = 0; and it gets worse when things get complicated; vector dist; // stands for distances vector excs; // stands for excesses Does anyone else…

I solve that problem by programming in a proportional font, which removes the temptation. (I know some people program in a monospaced font for various reasons, but in my opinion, anything that needs a monospaced font is a bad idea in the long run anyway.)

Re: How to name things in programming

#58

Post by Kiro »

ajuc wrote: post #56
Kiro wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what calls "reverse(addToEach(input_list, 1))" if not another function?

Hopefully a function that can be corectly named.

What do you think is a better name? reverseListAndAddOneToEachElement is describing the function but I agree it feels ugly.

Re: How to name things in programming

#59

Post by Macha »

mappu wrote: post #33
scrollaway wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which, when you add a third variable "stuff", will require you to go back and add a space for both n and acc, pollutting both the diffs themselves (making reviews harder) and the git-blame (making pinpointing bugs harder).

git diff -w

Is there a git blame -w?
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