What's in a Name? The Debate Between Naming Conventions

Introduction

Naming conventions often play a crucial role in programming. Choosing the right naming convention for a project can make a significant difference in its development process, readability, and maintainability. However, the debate on whether to use the English name or the Japenese name convention for naming variables, objects, and function persists, leaving many programmers unsure of which to use. This article aims to explore both conventions' differences and benefits, helping programmers make an informed decision on which naming convention is best for their projects.

Using English Naming Convention

English naming convention is also known as the camel case convention. This convention separates words using capital letters as opposed to using underscores or hyphens. For instance, \"myVariableName\" is the English convention for naming a variable. Here are some of the benefits of using this convention:

Readability

Compared to underscores and hyphens, the uppercase letters in camel case make variable names more readable and easier to understand. For example, \"firstName\" is much easier to read and understand than \"first_name\" or \"first-name.\"

Consistency

Camel case convention is widely used in the programming community, making it easier to write consistent and uniform code across all programmers and projects. This standard also makes it easier to maintain code as it becomes readable and consistent across all aspects of the project.

Using Japanese Naming Convention

In contrast to the English naming convention, the Japanese naming convention convention separates words in a variable name using underscores. For instance, the variable name \"my_variable_name\" is the Japanese naming convention for naming a variable. Here are some of the benefits of using this convention:

Readability

Using underscores in variable names make code more readable and easier to understand. This readability is especially useful when the variable name has multiple words, such as \"first_name\" or \"phone_number.\"

Localization

The Japanese naming convention is often found in Japanese programming languages such as Ruby, and hence, it is suitable for projects that need to support multiple languages. In such projects, the variable, function, and object names need to be written in the language they are intended to serve.

Conclusion

Choosing a naming convention is an essential part of any programming project. While both English and Japanese naming conventions have their benefits, choosing the right one depends on the specific requirements of the project. If a project requires consistency across all programmers or the need to standardize maintenance of code, the English naming convention is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if a project needs to support multiple languages or have an intricate naming structure, the Japanese naming convention might be more suitable. By understanding the points mentioned above, programmers can choose the best convention for their projects and create neat, readable, and maintainable code.