Which Case is Best for Your Coding Style

Naming variables, functions, and other elements in programming can be a daunting task. It becomes even more difficult when you have to decide which naming convention to follow. One common debate revolves around the choice between snake case and camel case.

However, this article aims to introduce you to a wider range of casing styles used in programming. While snake case and camel case are well-known, there are other casing conventions worth exploring.

What is Casing?

Before we delve into the topic at hand, let’s understand the importance of casing in programming. Casing refers to the practice of using standard conventions for naming variables, functions, classes, and other elements in code. It plays a significant role in enhancing code readability, maintaining consistency, and improving collaboration among developers.

What is Snake Case?

snake case involves separating words with underscores. When using snake case each character needs to be lowercase.

user_id = 12;
welcome_message = "Hello Human";

You’ll encounter this case-naming convention in programming languages like Python and Ruby. You will also come across it when working with databases, as it is used for creating tables and column names.

model User {
  firstName       String            @map("first_name")
  lastName        String            @map("last_name")
  phoneNumber     String            @map("phone_number")
}

There is also the capitalized version of snake case, where all the characters are in upper case, known as screaming snake case.

FIRST_NAME = "John";
LAST_NAME = "Doe";

What is Camel Case?

Camel case involves capitalizing the first letter of each word except for the first word, which starts with a lowercase letter. Basically, a capital letter appears at the start of the second word and at each subsequent word that follows it.

String firstName = "Jane";
int userId = 2;

This naming convention is widely used in programming languages like Java and JavaScript.

What is Pascal Case?

This is also known as the "Upper Camel Case," as it exhibits similarities with the camel case writing style, but in Pascal's naming convention, it capitalizes the first letter of each word, including the first word.

int FirstName = "John";
string LastName = "Doe";

You’ll see this naming convention in most programming languages, but it is more pronounced in languages like C# (C hashtag) and C++.

What is Kebab Case?

This is also known as the spinal case, it separates words using hyphens. it is often used in file and URL naming… Although it may not be used as the go-to naming convention, it is worth mentioning for its relevance.

helper-files.js
first-name = "John";

When choosing a casing style, it is important to consider the programming language or framework you are using. Adhering to these conventions promotes code consistency and enhances collaboration within a development team.

Conclusion

Selecting the appropriate casing style for your coding style is crucial for readability and maintaining a consistent naming convention. Understanding the difference between each case styling will allow you to write clean and readable code that is easier to understand and maintain.

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