Re: Long names are doom ?

[James Kanze <James.Kanze@dresdner-bank.com>]

Jon Skeet wrote:

> James Kanze <James.Kanze@dresdner-bank.com> wrote:

> > > Nice and compact.  The only problem is the compiler does not
> > > enforce it.  Every once in a while you run into some Bozo who
> > > refuses to follow the convention and it is hell understanding
> > > the code because you can't HELP but unconsciously presume he IS
> > > following it even when you know he is not.

> > Another problem is that it doesn't read well over the telephone.
> > One of my criteria for a good naming convention is that people
> > from the project should be able to talk about the code over the
> > telephone with no ambiguities.

> Is that "no ambiguities if both people know a) the problem space and
> b) the naming convention", or no ambiguities regardless?

The problem occurs when the naming convention gives semantic meaning
to aspects which aren't verbalized, like case.  If you have a variable
and a typename which only differ in the case of the initial letter,
there will be ambiguity when you talk about program text over the
telephone.

-- 
James Kanze                               mailto:kanze@gabi-soft.de
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