> output_list, result, result_list, result_l, r_list, o_l, output_l, o_list, aggregate, return_value, file_list, path_list, directory_list, dir_list, dir_l....

> output_list, result, result_list, result_l, r_list, o_l, output_l, o_list, aggregate, return_value, file_list, path_list, directory_list, dir_list, dir_l.... You're making it too hard, use normal whole words, call it "result" and be done with it; it's a temporary local variable, its name simply isn't that important. Class and method names are far more important because they have much larger scope. Here's the trick to naming things well, name them and move on and then when you have to come back later-which you always do-guess what the name is; if you named it well, you guessed right. If you guessed wrong, rename it to match what you guessed it would be. Over time your naming will get better.