Name conventions

Select C++ identifiers (including types, functions, and classes) carefully. When a programmer sees a name, it might be out of context; choose names to enhance readability and comprehension. A name that seems cute or easy to type can cause trouble to someone trying to decipher code. Remember, code is read many more times than it is written; err on the side of long, readable names. Internal code names should not appear anywhere in the interfaces to the system. Even inside your implementation, it's better to use the prosaic form if there is one.

To make the scope of names explicit, Taligent uses the following conventions.

Name conventions Identifier Convention Example

Types Begin with a capital letter Boolean

Base classes Begin with T TContainerView

Mixin classes Begin with M;
see "Multiple inheritance" on page 44 MPrintable

Enumeration types Begin with E EFreezeLevel

Raw C types Avoid using C types; see "Avoid raw C types with dimensions" on page 66

Virtual base classes Begin with V, rather than T or M VBaseClass

Members Begin with f for field¹;
functions begin with a capital letter fViewList, DrawSelf()

Static variables Begin with g; applies to static variables in functions and global variables (excluding static data members of a class) gDeviceList

Static data members Begin with fg; includes class globals TView::fgTokenClient

Locals and parameters Begin with a word whose initial letter is lowercase; local automatic variables only, treat statics like globals seed, port,
theCurrentArea

Constants Begin with k; including names of enumeration constants and constant statics kMenuCommand

Acronyms All uppercase TNBPName, not TNbpName

Template arguments Begin with A AType

Getters and setters Begin with Set..., Get..., or Is... (Boolean); use sparingly (see "Structification" on page 50) SetLast(), GetNext(), IsDone()

Allocator and adopters Begin with Create..., Copy..., Adopt..., or Orphan...; see "Use special names for copy, create, and adopt routines" on page 61 CreateName()

¹Field is a historical name for data member

In any name that contains more than one word , the first word follows the convention for the type of the name, and subsequent words follow with the first letter of each word capitalized, such as TTextBase. Do not use underscores except for #define symbols.

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Name conventions	Identifier	Convention	Example
	Types	Begin with a capital letter	Boolean
	Base classes	Begin with T	TContainerView
	Mixin classes	Begin with M; see "Multiple inheritance" on page 44	MPrintable
	Enumeration types	Begin with E	EFreezeLevel
	Raw C types	Avoid using C types; see "Avoid raw C types with dimensions" on page 66
	Virtual base classes	Begin with V, rather than T or M	VBaseClass
	Members	Begin with f for field¹; functions begin with a capital letter	fViewList, DrawSelf()
	Static variables	Begin with g; applies to static variables in functions and global variables (excluding static data members of a class)	gDeviceList
	Static data members	Begin with fg; includes class globals	TView::fgTokenClient
	Locals and parameters	Begin with a word whose initial letter is lowercase; local automatic variables only, treat statics like globals	seed, port, theCurrentArea
	Constants	Begin with k; including names of enumeration constants and constant statics	kMenuCommand
	Acronyms	All uppercase	TNBPName, not TNbpName
	Template arguments	Begin with A	AType
	Getters and setters	Begin with Set..., Get..., or Is... (Boolean); use sparingly (see "Structification" on page 50)	SetLast(), GetNext(), IsDone()
	Allocator and adopters	Begin with Create..., Copy..., Adopt..., or Orphan...; see "Use special names for copy, create, and adopt routines" on page 61	CreateName()
¹Field is a historical name for data member