Naming code

How to name variables, keys and identifiers so related names group and grow predictably

Id general-naming-code Applies to any Status active Enforceable needs judgement Tags namingcode

Start generic, narrow to specific

By starting our names with generic ideas and narrowing to more specific, it’s easier to add adjacent code and ideas that follow the same pattern.

nfd-bluehost-widget-account is better than bluehost-account-widget
nfd-module-data-helper-admin is better than data-module-admin-helper

Prefer specific to vague

Specificity creates a natural growth path without needing to rename or rekey overly generic keys.

nf_account_data is better than nf_account
nf_plugin_updates_cache is better than nf_plugins

Use singular equivalent to plural in loops

By using the singular variant of a plural, it becomes clear what comes from what. It’s also preferred to avoid using data types as names; please put those in documentation.

❌ Avoid	✅ Preferred
`for post in items`	`for post in posts`
`for single in posts`	`for post in posts`
`for object in objects`	`for user in users`

Naming
General naming principles that apply before any language or platform convention
Naming in global namespaces
Defensive prefixing for names that land in a namespace we do not control

Naming code

Start generic, narrow to specific

Prefer specific to vague

Use singular equivalent to plural in loops

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