What is the naming specification for C user identifiers?

The C language identifier naming specification is related to the readability and maintainability of the code. Common naming styles include camel nomenclature, underlined nomenclature and Hungarian nomenclature. It is recommended to use underscore nomenclature, which is clear and easy to read and avoid ambiguity. It is recommended to use meaningful names, maintain consistency, avoid abbreviations, and moderate lengths. Naming specifications are crucial to code quality, and misnames can lead to difficult bugs to troubleshoot.

To put it bluntly, the naming of C user identifiers is the rule for naming your variables, functions, structures, etc. This thing looks simple, but there are many tricks inside, which are directly related to the readability, maintainability, and even the robustness of the program. Write elegant C code, naming specifications are definitely one of the cornerstones.

First of all, it must be clear that C language itself does not have particularly strict mandatory regulations on identifier naming, and the compiler can only recognize it. But we programmers are not just going to make the compiler recognize it. We have to work together for the team and be responsible for the readability of the code. Therefore, we must consciously abide by some conventional norms and even formulate stricter internal norms.

Identifier composition: C language identifiers are composed of letters, numbers and underscores, and must start with letters or underscores. Remember, case sensitive! myVar and myvar are two completely different identifiers.

Naming style: This is the key point. There are three common naming styles: Camel Case, Snake Case and Hungarian Notation.

• Camel nomenclature: capitalize the initial letter of a word, such as myVariable , userName . It reads smoothly and is popular in many languages.
• Underscore nomenclature: Words are connected by underscores, such as my_variable and user_name . It is also readable, especially when the variable name is longer, which is clearer than the camel nomenclature.
• Hungarian nomenclature: prefix the variable name with an abbreviation that represents the data type, such as int iAge , char *szName . This was more popular in early C programming, but has now been gradually eliminated because it increases the redundancy of the code and becomes more troublesome to maintain as the code becomes more complex. The type information compiler already knows that there is no need to repeat it in the variable name.

My personal preference: I prefer underline nomenclature. It is clear and easy to read and is not easily confused with class member variables in C. In large-scale projects, clear naming style can greatly improve team collaboration efficiency and avoid ambiguity.

Some additional suggestions:

• To be meaningful names: don't use meaningless names like a , b , and c , unless they are loop variables or temporary variables, and the scope is very small. Variable names should clearly express their purpose. For example, user_id is clearer than uid .
• Keep consistency: In a project, always adhere to the same naming style. Don't use the camel nomenclature for a while, and then use the underlined nomenclature for a while, which will make the code look very confusing.
• Avoid using abbreviations: Unless the abbreviations are conventional, try to avoid using abbreviations, as abbreviations may be difficult for others to understand.
• Moderate length: the variable name should not be too long or too short. Too long variable names will affect readability, while too short variable names may not be clear enough.

Experience in trapping: I used to be in a project, but I caused a serious bug because of the irregular naming. At that time, the naming styles of our team were inconsistent. Some variable names used camel nomenclature, some variable names used underscore nomenclature, and some variable names even used pinyin. This makes the code difficult to understand and maintain, and ultimately leads to bugs that are difficult to troubleshoot. Since then, I have deeply realized the importance of naming norms.

Code example (underscore nomenclature):

 <code class="c">#include <stdio.h> int calculate_area(int length, int width) { return length * width; } int main() { int rectangle_length = 10; int rectangle_width = 5; int area = calculate_area(rectangle_length, rectangle_width); printf("The area of the rectangle is: %d\n", area); return 0; }</stdio.h></code>

In short, naming C user identifiers seems simple, but actually contain many skills and best practices. Following the specifications, choosing the right naming style, and adhering to consistency are the key to writing high-quality C code. Don't underestimate these details, they can save you a lot of time and effort in future code maintenance.

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