|
When are you long variable name fanatics going to understand that it is NOT about typing ;-) It is in fact about READING! People who think longer is better simple do not have a insight into how the human brain process information. Read up on good user interface design. One of the key points is that texts should be short and the shape of words easily distinguishable. index1, index2, index3 might be more descriptive than i, j, k but the latter have more unique overall shape which makes it easier to identify for a reader. Likewise CoordinateX, CoordinateY, CoordinateZ is harder to read than x, y, z. How do you like reading the line below:
divideBy(multiply(rocketmass, multiply(rocketvelocity, rocketvelocity), 2) compared to:
(mv^2)/2 Sure the former describes what the individual variables are, but immediately getting an overview or sense of what is being calculated is harder. But using short variable names doesn't mean you can only use short names. You can mix and match to optimize understanding and clarity. rocketKineticEnergy = (m*v^2)/2
I follow Rob Pike's advice and use long names for global and seldom used variables and functions while I use short names for locally defined variables and functions. I might also use short names for key concepts frequently used. If your key domain is geomtry then nobody will have problems understanding in context what: x, y, w, h, dx, dy etc means. You don't have to write XCoordinate, YCoordinate, Width, Height, DeltaX, DeltaY. |