Chapter 6. Names
The creation of a good mental model is one of the key challenges in developing software. There are several tools people use to help with this:
• Project dictionaries
• Domain vocabularies, ontologies, and languages
• XP-style metaphors
How we name things is important. Good names perform several functions:
• They provide a vocabulary for discussing our domain.
• They communicate intent.
• They support subtle expectations about how the system works.
• They support each other in a system of names.
It’s hard to pick good names, but it’s worth the effort. Ward Cunningham describes using a thesaurus to get just the right sense.
Some teams have coding standards and naming standards that affect how names are chosen. You may find these ...
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