How to name a variable: numItems or itemCount?

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How to name a variable: numItems or itemCount?



What is the right way to name a variable


int numItems;



vs.


int itemCount;



or constant:


public static final int MAX_NUM_ITEMS = 64;



vs.


public static final int MAX_ITEM_COUNT = 64;





Any time you're about to ask a question about the "right" way to do something, stop and consider whether it's merely a subjective, aesthetic preference. This certainly qualifies. It absolutely doesn't matter. Pick one that you like and stick with it.
– Cody Gray♦
Jun 15 '11 at 14:05





@Cody Gray, I agree with that general rule -- but there is a difference in this case between "num" and "count". See below.
– Andy Thomas
Jun 15 '11 at 14:19







@Andy: I mean, sure. I even agree with you and Steve. But come on, that hardly justifies this question...
– Cody Gray♦
Jun 15 '11 at 14:28





Sorry to come here late but this question should be closed. It is opinion-based
– Carlos Muñoz
Feb 18 '15 at 16:19





Possible duplicate of Naming conventions for "number of foos" variables
– Oleg Estekhin
2 days ago




4 Answers
4



In "Code Complete," Steve McConnell notes that "Number" is ambiguous. It could be a count, or an index, or some other number.



"But, because using Number so often
creates confusion, it's probably best
to sidestep the whole issue by using
Count to refer to a total number of sales and Index to refer to a
specific sale."



item_count or itemCount (there's a religious war brewing there, though)



For Java I would use itemCount and MAX_ITEM_COUNT. For Ruby, item_count and MAX_ITEM_COUNT. I tend not to use names that can be interpreted wrongly (numItems may be a shortcut for numerate_items or number_of_items), hence my choice. Whatever you decide, use it constantly.


itemCount


MAX_ITEM_COUNT


item_count


MAX_ITEM_COUNT


numItems


numerate_items


number_of_items





I've never seen numerate used in this context. Maybe it's just me...
– Zero3
Dec 2 '16 at 13:47


numerate



It's a matter of personal preference, just make sure you are consistent throughout your code. If you're working with others check what's been done in existing code.



For the constant I would find MAX_ITEMS more logical than MAX_NUM_ITEMS or similar, it just sounds better to me.


MAX_ITEMS


MAX_NUM_ITEMS






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