the-art-of-naming

The Art of Naming

Naming things is hard. This guide provides a structured methodology for naming variables, functions, classes, interfaces, and everything in between — producing code that is self-documenting, consistent, and readable.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Naming new variables, functions, classes, interfaces, or types
• Reviewing code for naming consistency
• Refactoring code to improve readability
• Setting up linting rules for a new project
• Onboarding new team members to the codebase conventions

Core Principles

• S-I-D — Every name must be Short, Intuitive, and Descriptive
• No Contractions — onItemClick, never onItmClk
• Correct Casing — camelCase for members, PascalCase for types, UPPER_CASE for constants
• Meaningful Prefixes — I for interfaces, _ for private, is/has/should for booleans
• No Context Duplication — MenuItem.handleClick(), not MenuItem.handleMenuItemClick()
• Structured Patterns — P/HC/LC for variables, A/HC/LC for functions
• Correct Action Verbs — get (sync), fetch (async), remove (collection), delete (permanent)

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Rule	Impact	File
1	Casing Convention	CRITICAL	naming-casing-convention
2	S-I-D + No Contractions	CRITICAL	naming-sid
3	Prefix Conventions	HIGH	naming-prefix-convention
4	Boolean Naming	HIGH	naming-boolean
5	Context Duplication	HIGH	naming-context-duplication
6	Function Naming (A/HC/LC)	HIGH	naming-function-pattern
7	Variable Naming (P/HC/LC)	MEDIUM	naming-variable-pattern

Quick Reference

1. Casing Convention (CRITICAL)

• naming-casing-convention - camelCase for variables/functions, PascalCase for classes/enums/types, UPPER_CASE for exported constants

2. S-I-D + No Contractions (CRITICAL)

• naming-sid - Names must be Short, Intuitive, Descriptive — never use contractions

3. Prefix Conventions (HIGH)

• naming-prefix-convention - I for interfaces, _ for private members, T/R/U/V/K for generics

4. Boolean Naming (HIGH)

• naming-boolean - Prefix booleans with is/has/should/can, keep names positive

5. Context Duplication (HIGH)

• naming-context-duplication - Don't repeat class/component name in member names

6. Function Naming (HIGH)

• naming-function-pattern - A/HC/LC pattern + correct action verbs (get/set/fetch/remove/delete/compose/handle)

7. Variable Naming (MEDIUM)

• naming-variable-pattern - P/HC/LC pattern for structured, predictable variable names

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

rules/naming-casing-convention.md
rules/naming-sid.md
rules/naming-prefix-convention.md
rules/naming-boolean.md
rules/naming-context-duplication.md
rules/naming-function-pattern.md
rules/naming-variable-pattern.md

Each rule file contains:

• Brief explanation of why it matters
• Incorrect code examples with explanation
• Correct code examples with explanation
• Summary tables and references

Full Compiled Document

For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md