4 ms·

Does it actually make the code clearer, though? If u is used as a temporary local variable meaning a user from users throughout the code, I think it's quite cle

• choward 10y ago
  > If u is used as a temporary local variable meaning a user from users throughout the code Until it isn't. How do you enforce this? "Please use descriptive variables everywhere, except for when you are iterating over a list of users. Use "u" in that case. Thanks."
  • icebraining 10y ago
    All names depend on context. "user" may or may not be description depending on the surrounding context. Single-letter variables are the same. Your own post provides good examples - you use "it" and "this" because, in context, they are clear and easier to write and read than a longer version.
  • akavi 10y ago
    "Please use variable names that are more descriptive the larger the scope of their use is." When the scope is limited to a single line lambda, "first letter of the thing it is" is plenty descriptive enough, especially given that it's a strong convention in ruby. (In an example of the opposite extreme, I'm currently working int codebase where every non-function local/non-instance variable has to use its fully qualified path name. Extremely descriptive; extremely unreadable.)
  • yongjik 10y ago
    In the same way you enforce anything else: common sense. The other direction is the same. If your team doesn't share a "common sense", then someone will end up writing value[axis_x][axis_y][axis_z], because single-letter names are prohibited.