Mastering Text Case Conventions in Programming

Naming conventions are one of the most fundamental aspects of writing clean, maintainable code. Different programming languages and contexts have established conventions that help developers write consistent, readable code.

Why Naming Conventions Matter

Consistent naming conventions:

  • Improve readability: Code is read far more often than it's written
  • Reduce cognitive load: Familiar patterns are easier to understand
  • Enable better tooling: IDEs can provide better autocomplete and refactoring
  • Facilitate collaboration: Team members can understand code faster

Common Case Conventions

1. camelCase

Format: First word lowercase, subsequent words capitalized Example: getUserData, calculateTotalPrice

Used in:

  • JavaScript/TypeScript variables and functions
  • Java methods and variables
  • C# methods and variables (except public methods)
const userName = 'John Doe';
function calculateTotal(items) {
  return items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0);
}

2. PascalCase

Format: All words capitalized, including the first Example: UserProfile, HttpClient

Used in:

  • Class names in most languages
  • React component names
  • C# public methods
  • Type names in TypeScript
class UserProfile {
  constructor(public Name: string, public Email: string) {}
}

interface HttpResponse {
  StatusCode: number;
  Data: any;
}

3. snake_case

Format: All lowercase with underscores Example: user_profile, calculate_total

Used in:

  • Python variables and functions
  • Ruby variables and methods
  • SQL table and column names
  • C/C++ variable names
def calculate_total_price(items):
    return sum(item.price for item in items)

user_name = "John Doe"
order_items = []

4. kebab-case

Format: All lowercase with hyphens Example: user-profile, primary-button

Used in:

  • URLs and routes
  • CSS class names
  • HTML attributes
  • File names
  • Git branch names
<div class="user-profile-card">
  <button class="primary-button">Submit</button>
</div>

5. CONSTANT_CASE

Format: All uppercase with underscores Example: MAX_RETRY_COUNT, API_KEY

Used in:

  • Constants in most languages
  • Environment variables
  • Configuration values
const MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS = 3;
const API_BASE_URL = 'https://api.example.com';
const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 5000;

Language-Specific Conventions

JavaScript/TypeScript

// Variables and functions: camelCase
const userName = 'Alice';
function getUserData() {}

// Classes and interfaces: PascalCase
class UserService {}
interface UserProfile {}

// Constants: CONSTANT_CASE
const MAX_USERS = 100;

// Private properties: _camelCase (convention)
class User {
  private _internalId: string;
}

Python

# Variables and functions: snake_case
user_name = "Alice"
def get_user_data():
    pass

# Classes: PascalCase
class UserService:
    pass

# Constants: CONSTANT_CASE
MAX_USERS = 100

# Private: _snake_case
class User:
    def __init__(self):
        self._internal_id = None

Ruby

# Variables and methods: snake_case
user_name = "Alice"
def get_user_data
end

# Classes and modules: PascalCase
class UserService
end

# Constants: CONSTANT_CASE
MAX_USERS = 100

Java/C#

// Variables and private fields: camelCase
String userName = "Alice";
private int userId;

// Methods: camelCase
public void getUserData() {}

// Classes and interfaces: PascalCase
public class UserService {}
public interface IUserRepository {}

// Constants: CONSTANT_CASE
public static final int MAX_USERS = 100;

Context-Specific Conventions

Database Naming

-- Tables: snake_case (plural)
CREATE TABLE user_profiles (
  -- Columns: snake_case
  user_id INT PRIMARY KEY,
  first_name VARCHAR(50),
  created_at TIMESTAMP
);

API Endpoints

// REST API: kebab-case
GET /api/user-profiles
POST /api/order-items
PUT /api/user-settings/{user-id}

// GraphQL: camelCase
query {
  userProfile(userId: "123") {
    firstName
    lastName
  }
}

CSS/Sass

/* BEM methodology with kebab-case */
.user-profile-card {}
.user-profile-card__header {}
.user-profile-card--featured {}

/* Utility classes: kebab-case */
.text-center {}
.bg-primary {}

File Naming

// Components: PascalCase
UserProfile.tsx
HttpClient.ts

// Utilities: kebab-case or camelCase
string-utils.ts
dateFormatter.ts

// Config files: kebab-case
nuxt.config.ts
tsconfig.json
.eslintrc.js

Best Practices

1. Be Consistent

Choose a convention and stick to it throughout your project. Mixing conventions confuses readers and makes code harder to maintain.

2. Follow Language Idioms

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Use the conventions that are standard in your programming language's community.

3. Use Descriptive Names

// ❌ Avoid
const d = new Date();
function proc(x) {}

// ✅ Better
const currentDate = new Date();
function processUserData(userData) {}

4. Abbreviations

Be careful with abbreviations:

// ✅ Common abbreviations are OK
const htmlParser = new HtmlParser();
const apiClient = new ApiClient();

// ❌ Unclear abbreviations
const usrMgr = new UserManager(); // Use userManager
const calcTot = calculateTotal(); // Use calculateTotal

5. Boolean Naming

Prefix booleans with is/has/can/should:

const isActive = true;
const hasPermission = false;
const canEdit = true;
const shouldUpdate = false;

Tools for Case Conversion

When refactoring or working across different contexts, use tools like toolcli Case Lab to quickly convert between naming conventions.

Conclusion

Mastering naming conventions is essential for writing professional, maintainable code. By following established patterns and being consistent, you'll write code that's easier to read, understand, and maintain.

Remember: code is written once but read many times. Invest time in choosing good names and following conventions—your future self and teammates will thank you.