Better Naming: How to come up with meaningful names

[PierceAndy]

Synopsis:

How better naming in your project can improve your codebase readability.

1. Use intention-revealing names.
2. Make meaningful distinctions.
3. Avoid disinformation.

Slides: https://github.com/nus-oss/lightningtalks/files/924667/Better.Naming.pptx

Audience

• CS students

Objective

• Encourage audience to use better names in projects

Topic

• Better naming

PUNCH

• Worst variable names
• There are only two hard things in Computer Science

WIIFY

• Makes code more readable
• Makes code easier to understand
• Makes code maintenance easier

Promise

• Simple rules for creating better names
• How these rules make for better names

Know

• What makes for a good name
• How to come up with better names

Believe

• It's worth doing
• It's not hard to do

Do

• Use better names in projects

Call-to-action

• Know about these rules, and try applying them to your projects

Key points + content

• Use intention-revealing names
  A good name tells you what it does, why it exists, and how it is used
• Make meaningful distinctions
  Distinguish names in such a way that the reader knows what the differences offer
• Avoid disinformation
  False clues obscure the meaning of code, and may lead to false conclusions