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Naming Conventions Cheat Sheet

Quick reference for common naming conventions used across programming languages, frameworks, and systems.

Common Naming Styles

Style Example Typical Usage
camelCase userName Variables, functions (Java, JS)
PascalCase UserName Classes, types
snake_case user_name Variables, functions (Python)
kebab-case user-name URLs, files
SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE MAX_SIZE Constants

Variables

Language Convention Example
JavaScript camelCase totalCount
Python snake_case total_count
Java camelCase totalCount
C / C++ snake_case total_count

Rules: - Use descriptive nouns - Avoid abbreviations unless common

Functions / Methods

Language Convention Example
JavaScript camelCase getUser()
Python snake_case get_user()
Java camelCase getUser()

Rules: - Use verbs - Indicate action clearly

Classes & Types

Language Convention Example
Most languages PascalCase UserService

Rules: - Use nouns - Singular form preferred

Constants

Convention Example
SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE MAX_CONNECTIONS

Files & Directories

Context Convention Example
Source files snake_case user_service.py
Web assets kebab-case main-style.css
Java classes PascalCase UserService.java

Database Naming

Element Convention Example
Tables snake_case (plural) users
Columns snake_case created_at
Primary key id id
Foreign key <table>_id user_id

API Naming

Element Convention Example
Endpoints kebab-case /user-profiles
Query params snake_case ?page_size=10
JSON keys camelCase createdAt

Boolean Naming

Best practices: - Prefix with is, has, can, should

Examples: - isActive - hasPermission - canEdit

Bad vs Good Examples

Bad Good Reason
x userCount Meaningful
get_dataotl getUserData Readable
DATA1 MAX_USERS Descriptive

General Guidelines

  • Be consistent within a project
  • Follow language/framework standards
  • Prefer clarity over brevity
  • Avoid mixing naming styles