Name
STYL-05: Name procedures with verb phrases and functions with noun phrases.
Synopsis
We build procedures to join together (and run) a series of logically related executable statements. The name of the procedure should reflect what those statements do, and should be in the form of a verb phrase, as in:
PROCEDURE calculate_totals (...); PROCEDURE display_favorite_flavors (...);
A function executes one or more statements with the express intent of returning a value. The name of a function should describe what is being returned and be in the form of a noun phrase, as in:
FUNCTION total_salary (...) RETURN NUMBER; FUNCTION book_title (...) RETURN VARCHAR2;
You might also consider standardizing elements of your procedures’ verb phrases; standard prefixes can indicate the type of operation. Here are some examples:
ins_
Inserts something
get_
Selects something
del_
Deletes something
upd_
Updates something
chk_
Validates something
Example
The following table shows some bad names for procedures and functions:
Name |
What’s Wrong? |
Better Name |
PROCEDURE total_salary |
What is the procedure doing with total salary? Displaying it? Calculating it? |
display_total_salary |
FUNCTION calculate_total_salary |
Well, of course, you’re calculating the total salary—and returning it as well. |
total_salary |
FUNCTION get_total_salary |
What else does a function do but get and return
things? Use of the |
total_salary |
Benefits
The more accurately ...
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