Java Reference
In-Depth Information
A group of constants that represent alternative values of a set, or, less frequently,
masking bits in an integer value, are sometimes usefully specified with a common ac-
ronym as a name prefix.
For example:
interface ProcessStates {
int PS_RUNNING = 0;
int PS_SUSPENDED = 1;
}
Local Variable and Parameter Names
Local variable and parameter names should be short, yet meaningful. They are often
short sequences of lowercase letters that are not words, such as:
• Acronyms, that is the first letter of a series of words, as in
cp
for a variable
holding a reference to a
ColoredPoint
• Abbreviations, as in
buf
holding a pointer to a buffer of some kind
• Mnemonic terms, organized in some way to aid memory and understanding,
typically by using a set of local variables with conventional names patterned
after the names of parameters to widely used classes. For example:
♦
in
and
out
, whenever some kind of input and output are involved, patterned
after the fields of
System
♦
off
and
len
, whenever an offset and length are involved, patterned after the
parameters to the
read
and
write
methods of the interfaces
DataInput
and
DataOutput
of
java.io
One-character local variable or parameter names should be avoided, except for tem-
porary and looping variables, or where a variable holds an undistinguished value of a
type. Conventional one-character names are:
•
b
for a
byte
•
c
for a
char
•
d
for a
double
•
e
for an
Exception
•
f
for a
float
•
i
,
j
, and
k
for
int
s
•
l
for a
long
•
o
for an
Object
