Meaningful Names

Use Intention-Revealing Names

The name of a variable, function, or class should tell you why it exists, what it does, and how it's used. If a name requires a comment, the name doesn't reveal its intent.

// Bad
int d; // elapsed time in days

// Good
int elapsedTimeInDays;

Avoid Disinformation

Don't use names that could mislead. For example, don't call a grouping of accounts accountList unless it's actually a List. Use accounts or accountGroup instead.

Make Meaningful Distinctions

Number-series naming (a1, a2, a3) and noise words (ProductInfo vs ProductData) are meaningless distinctions. If names must be different, they should mean something different.