Variable Naming Cases in Programming

Naming conventions are essential in programming to ensure code is clean, readable, and consistent. By using specific naming styles for variables, functions, classes, and constants, developers create code that is easier to understand and maintain.

This guide highlights the most commonly used naming cases, their formats, and their applications in different programming languages. From the widely adopted camel case in JavaScript to snake case in Python and Pascal case for class names, each naming style serves a specific purpose.

The table below provides a concise overview of these naming conventions, followed by detailed examples.

Case	Format	Languages	Example
Camel Case	lowerCamelCase	JavaScript, Java, Go, Swift	userName, calculateTotal
Snake Case	lower_snake_case	Python, Ruby, SQL	user_name, calculate_total
Pascal Case	UpperCamelCase	C#, Java, Go, Swift	UserName, CalculateTotal
Upper Snake Case	UPPER_SNAKE_CASE	Python, Java, C, Ruby	MAX_LIMIT, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
Kebab Case	lower-kebab-case	CSS, HTML, JavaScript	user-profile, data-entry
Dot Case	lower.case.with.dots	JSON, YAML, Config files	user.name, file.version

Camel Case

• Format: lowerCamelCase
• Description: The first word is lowercase, and subsequent words are capitalized. Widely used for variables, functions, and method names.
• Languages: JavaScript, Java, TypeScript, Go (private variables/methods), Swift.
• Example:

let userName = "JohnDoe";
function calculateTotal(price, tax) {
    return price + tax;
}

Snake Case

• Format: lower_snake_case
• Description: All words are lowercase and separated by underscores. Common in Python and databases for readability.
• Languages: Python, Ruby, SQL, C.
• Example:

user_name = "JohnDoe"
def calculate_total(price, tax):
    return price + tax

Pascal Case

• Format: UpperCamelCase
• Description: Similar to camel case, but the first letter of every word is capitalized. Frequently used for class names, enums, and constructor functions.
• Languages: C#, Java, Go (exported variables/functions), Swift.
• Example:

public class UserAccount {
    private String UserName;

    public UserAccount(String userName) {
        this.UserName = userName;
    }
}

Upper Snake Case

• Format: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE
• Description: All words are uppercase, separated by underscores. Standard for defining constants.
• Languages: Python, Java, C, Ruby.
• Example:

MAX_LIMIT = 1000
DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 30

Kebab Case

• Format: lower-kebab-case
• Description: Words are lowercase and separated by hyphens. Popular in CSS class names and URLs.
• Languages: CSS, HTML, JavaScript (for file names or configs).
• Example:

.user-profile {
    font-size: 16px;
    color: #333;
}

Dot Case

• Format: lower.case.with.dots
• Description: Words are lowercase and separated by dots. Primarily used in configurations or keys in data formats.
• Languages: JSON, YAML, Configurations.
• Example:

{
  "user.name": "JohnDoe",
  "user.age": 25
}