Microsoft® Access® 2010 Programmer's Reference

Appendix G. Naming Conventions

The logic of using a naming convention is about as easy to grasp as the logic of standardizing an alphabet or language. Both structures are intended to make communication easier. In addition to providing standards, they also allow plenty of opportunities for customization. Adopting a naming convention provides for consistency, can avoid conflicts with reserved words, and sets the framework for building strong code that is more easily read and interpreted by the original developer and by other developers. You may as well count on someone else trying to interpret your code, whether it is someone on your team, a technical consultant, or someonewho inherits your project.

Using a naming convention also helps prevent conflicts that can occur when several objects have the same name. For clarity and ease of use, a name should have only one meaning within an application.

When you are new to Access or to writing code, it is the perfect time to become familiar with the most common naming conventions and to start developing your own protocols. This appendix includes some guidance for naming objects and provides tables of the most commonly accepted names used in VBA. It also provides some guidelines for working with macros.

As you adopt, adapt, and create your own conventions, you will benefit from being familiar with standard naming conventions. Becoming fluent with the prefixes, abbreviations, and terms will help you to read and interpret code used in Access, VBA, ...