C#, .NET, Java - General Naming and Coding Conventions

Complexity:
A physician, a civil engineer, and a computer scientist were arguing
about what was the oldest profession in the world.
The physician remarked, "Weil, in the Bible, it says that God created
Eve from a rib taken out of Adam. This clearly required surgery, and
so I can rightly claim that mine is the oldest profession in the world.
"The civil engineer interrupted, and said, "But even earlier in the
book of Genesis, it states that God created the order of the heavens
and the earth from out of the chaos. This was the first and certainly
the most spectacular application of civil engineering. Therefore, fair
doctor, you are wrong: mine is the oldest profession in the world.

"The computer scientist leaned back in her chair, smiled,
and then said confidently, "Ah, but who do you think
created the chaos?"
From: Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications by Grady Booch
1

Copyright © 2013 Coextrix Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore

2

Coding Standards
Naming Conventions
Presented by

Ashok Guduru
Technical Architect


3

Naming Conventions and Style

• Source code is a form of expression and so
quality-of-expression must be a primary concern.
• Poor quality-of-expression creates ongoing costs
and impacts the productivity (hence the
reputation) of the team that produces it.
• Therefore software authors must learn to clearly
express the intention of variables, methods,
classes, and modules.

4


What is the purpose of this (python) code?

list1 = []
for x in theList:
if x[0] == 4:
list1 += x;
return list1


5


Improved code…
flaggedCells = []
for cell in theBoard:
if cell[STATUS_VALUE] == FLAGGED:
flaggedCells += cell
return flaggedCells


6


Even more improved code…
flaggedCells = []
for cell in theBoard:
if cell.isFlagged():
flaggedCells += cell
return flaggedCells


7


• PascalCasing (a.k.a Proper Casing)
– Use Pascal Casing for class/Type names and
method names
public class ClientActivity
{
public void ClearStatistics()
{
//...
}
public void CalculateStatistics()
{
//...
}
}

8


• camelCasing
– Use camelCasing for method arguments and local
variables

public class UserLog
{
public void Add(LogEvent logEvent)
{
int itemCount = logEvent.Items.Count;
// ...
}
}

9


• Do not use Hungarian notation
// Correct
int counter;
string name;

// Avoid
int iCounter;
string strName;


10


• do not use Screaming Caps for constants or
readonly variables
// Correct
public static const string ShippingType = "DropShip";
// Avoid
public static const string SHIPPINGTYPE = "DropShip";


11


• Avoid using Abbreviations.
Exceptions: abbreviations commonly used as names, such as Id, Xml, Ftp, Uri

//Correct
UserGroup userGroup;
Assignment employeeAssignment;
//Avoid
UserGroup usrGrp;
Assignment empAssignment;
//Exceptions
CustomerId customerId;
XmlDocument xmlDocument;
FtpHelper ftpHelper;
UriPart uriPart;

12


• use PascalCasing for abbreviations
– 3 characters or more
– 2 chars use both uppercase
HtmlHelper htmlHelper;
FtpTransfer ftpTransfer;
UIControl uiControl;


13


• do not use Underscores in identifiers.
– Exception: You can prefix private static variables
with an underscore
//Correct
public DateTime ClientAppointment;
public TimeSpan TimeLeft;

//Avoid

public DateTime Client_Appointment;
public TimeSpan Time_Left;

//Exception

private DateTime _registrationDate;

14


• Use predefined type names instead of system
type names like Int16, Single, UInt64, etc.
//Correct
string firstName;
int lastIndex;

bool isSaved;
//Avoid
String firstName;
Int32 lastIndex;
Boolean isSaved;

15


• use implicit type var for local variable
declarations.
Exception: primitive types (int, string, double, etc) use predefined names.

var stream = File.Create(path);
var customers = new Dictionary<int?, Customer>();
//Exceptions
int index = 100;
string timeSheet;
bool isCompleted;


16

Procedural code gets
information then makes
decisions.
Object-oriented code tells
objects to do things.

--Alec Sharp


17


• use noun or noun phrases to name a class
public class Employee

{
}
public class BusinessLocation
{

}
public class DocumentCollection
{
}

The above style distinguishes type names from
methods, which are named with verb phrases.

18

• Use '-able' as a suffix for interfaces
• Name interfaces with adjective phrases, or occasionally
with nouns or noun phrases
public interface IObservable
{
}
public interface ISerializable
{
}
//More Examples…

Enumerable, Printable, Drinkable, Shootable, Rotatabl
e, Readable, Writable, Groupable


19


• Types (Classes and Structs) are made of
members: methods, properties, events,
constructors, and fields. The following
sections describe guidelines for naming type
members.

20

• Give methods names that are verbs or verb phrases.
public class String {
public int CompareTo(...);
public string[] Split(...);
public string Trim();
}
public static class Console
{
public static void Write(string format, object arg0)
public static void WriteLine(char value);
public static void SetWindowSize(int width, int height);
public static void SetWindowPosition(int left, int top);
public static void ResetColor();
public static Stream OpenStandardError(int bufferSize);

}

21

• Names of Properties: Unlike other members, properties
should be given noun phrase or adjective names. That is
because a property refers to data (object state), and the
name of the property reflects that.
• Always use PascalCasing to name properties.
• DO name properties using a noun, noun phrase, or adjective.
• DO NOT have properties that match the name of "Get"
methods as in the following example:
public string TextWriter { get {...} set {...} }
public string GetTextWriter(int value) { ... }

This above pattern typically indicates that the property
should really be a method.

22

• Names of Properties: Name the collection properties with
a plural phrase describing the items in the collection instead
of using a singular phrase followed by "List" or "Collection."

private static double[] _sizeBins;
public ICollection Instruments { get; set; }
public int[] Temperatures { get; set; }
public string[] Operators { get; set; }
public string[] SizeRanges { get; set; }
public string[] TrendChartColumns { get; set; }
public string[] SampleDateIntervals { get; set; }
public string[] XYChartColumns { get; set; }


23


24

• Names of Properties: Name Boolean properties with an
affirmative phrase (CanSeek instead of CantSeek). Optionally,
you can also prefix Boolean properties with "Is," "Can," or
"Has," but only where it adds value.
Public class Stream
{
public bool CanSeek { get {...} set {...} }
public bool IsOpen { get {...} set {...} }
public bool IsModifiable { get {...} set {...} }
public bool AllowChanges { get {...} set {...} }
public bool HasPassed { get {...} set {...} }
public bool IsWritable { get {...} set {...} }
public bool CanModify { get {...} set {...} }
}


25

• Names of Properties: CONSIDER giving a property the
same name as its type.
– For example, the following property correctly gets and sets an enum
value named Color, so the property is named Color:
public enum Color {...}
public class Control {
public Color Color { get {...} set {...} }
}


26


• Name source files according to their main classes.
Exceptions: file names with partial classes reflect their source or purpose, e.g.
designer, generated, etc.

//Located in Task.cs
public partial class Task{

//...}

//Located in Task.generated.cs
public partial class Task{
//...}

• Use one file per type
(class, interface, enum, delegate, struct, event,
attribute, exception etc.)

27


• Organize namespaces with a clearly defined
structure.
// Examples
namespace Company.Product.Module.SubModule
namespace Product.Module.Component
namespace Product.Layer.Module.Group

• vertically align curly brackets.
// Correct
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
}
}

28


29


• declare all member variables at the top of a
class, with static variables at the very top.
public class Account
{
public static string BankName;
public static decimal Reserves;
public string Number {get; set;}
public DateTime DateOpened {get; set;}
public DateTime DateClosed {get; set;}
public decimal Balance {get; set;}
// Constructor
public Account()
{
// ...
}
}

30

• Use singular names for enums
• Use plurals for bit field (Flagged) enums
public enum Color
{
Red,
Green,
Blue,
Yellow,
Magenta,
Cyan
}

[Flags]
public enum Dockings
{
None = 0,
Top = 1,
Right = 2,
Bottom = 4,
Left = 8
}

31


• do not explicitly specify a type of an enum or
values of enums (except bit fields)
// Don't
public enum Direction: long
{
North = 1,
East = 2,
South = 3,
West = 4
}

// Correct
public enum Direction
{
North,
East,
South,
West
}


32


• do notsuffix enum names with Enum
//Don't
public enum CoinEnum
{
Penny,
Nickel,
Dime,
Quarter,
Dollar
}

// Correct
public enum Coin
{
Penny,
Nickel,
Dime,
Quarter,
Dollar
}

33


• do notsuffix enum names with Enum
//Don't
public enum CoinEnum
{
Penny,
Nickel,
Dime,
Quarter,
Dollar
}

// Correct
public enum Coin
{
Penny,
Nickel,
Dime,
Quarter,
Dollar
}

34


• Some examples of BAD varibale names
int Cutomer_Name;
int CustName;
int CSTMR-NM;
int empName;
int intDrvrCde;
int drvrcode;
int d; //elapsed time in days
int tempId; //not sure Temperature or
String logininfoJSON

Template

35


• Some examples of GOOD varibale names

int
int
int
int

elapsedTimeInDays;
daysSinceCreation;
daysSinceModification;
fileAgeInDays;


36


• Identify the problems in the following code
public class MenuItem
{
public int MenuID { get; set; }
//Manu
public
public
public
public

Details
List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem> Category { get; set; }
string Alerts { get; set; }
bool IsSKU { get; set; }
bool IsDirectOrderable { get; set; }

//Restaurant Details
public List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem> Restaurant { get; set; }
public List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem> AvailableTime { get; set; }
public DateTime AvailableFrom { get; set; }
public DateTime AvailableTo { get; set; }
//Price Details
public double Price { get; set; }
//Add-on details
public bool IsAddonSelectMandatory { get; set; }
public List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem> AddonType { get; set; }
public List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem> Addon { get; set; }
public string RecipeDescription { get; set; }
public List<MenuItem> MenuItems { get; set; }
}

37


• Identify the problems in the following code
public class ItemCategory
{
public string CategoryName { get; set; }
public string CategoryDescription { get; set; }
}


38


39

When a tester didn't find any cool bugs, then he
basically has two options to think about.
a) The software is good enough to go live
b) The software wasn't tested well enough

Typically, the developer thinks it is "a". And, of
course, the tester always fears it could be option
"b".

40

You have to experience what you want to express
-- Vincent van Gogh

Thank you!
Ashok Guduru
Blog: http://www.ashokg.com
Twitter: @AshokGudurc

To be Contd…
41

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