4 ms·

One of the things I really hate about golang is the idiomatic usage of single-letter variables. Other than that, and a couple of other quirks, it’s good.

hamandcheese 6y ago
I’d love to understand the rationale for preferring extremely short variable names.
- tempest_ 6y ago
  Gotta save those bytes
- tedk-42 6y ago
  Single letter variable names are throw away variables which you don't actually care about except for maybe a line or so. I think to use them when I'm trying to "show my working out" and it takes me back to algebra class days so I don't mind
- dmlerner 6y ago
  I like short variable names - for variables used in only a short block of code. I like long variable names - for e.g. a field on a struct used all over a file, and certainly exported ones. I think "Go uses single letter variable names" is not so true in practice. There's a balance, in every language, between when to use short and long names. Go's balance is tilted (a good bit) more towards short, but it's not a hard rule. There's significant mental overhead in reading `numberOfSubprotosOnProto`, as well as time hearing it in my head. I'd rather see `n` declared, used a few times in the next <10 lines, and then disappear. If there's two similar concepts in the same function, use slightly longer names, sure. Certainly not m and n. I think that's the same reason math tends to use single letter variables. "Taylor series are easy! Just memorize: 'f_series_degree(evaluation_point, expansion_point) = sum(derivative_order=0..series_degree, (evaluation_point - expansion_point)^derivative_order * f^{derivative_order}(expansion_point) / derivative_order!)' No thanks, I'll take f_n(x, a) = sum(i=0..n, f^n(a)(x-a)^n/n!).
  - franklyt 6y ago
    I don’t know if it’s ironic or not, but as someone not into mathematics, the first example is far more readable, and it’s not close.
    - runald 6y ago
      By readable, I think you mean you get to read some whole words thereby get the impression of better readability, but in actuality it doesn't not necessarily aid comprehension if you don't know anything about taylor series, or maths in general. I'm not saying more descriptive variable names doesn't help, but saying that you are not into mathematics makes your point moot.
      - franklyt 6y ago
        But I know what an evaluation is, a point is, a degree is, etc. These words contain semantic data.
- justsomeuser 6y ago
  Some people prefer lattes, some cappuccinos, but it's all milk baby.
rudedogg 6y ago
Single letter variable names annoy me so much. Every programmer uses an editor or IDE with autocomplete. Just use a damn name that describes the thing, if it's a little long no one cares. CS papers are the worst in my experience. I know lines have to be kept short, but I think some people believe a tiny code block makes them look like a better programmer. I like how Swift does it[0] — it reads nicer than any other language I've used. [0]: https://swift.org/documentation/api-design-guidelines/ https://swift.org/documentation/api-design-guidelines/
- wahern 6y ago
  > Every programmer uses an editor or IDE with autocomplete. This is news to me. I use JOE and, occasionally, vi (sic). But when I use short variable names it's often because they're idiomatic and expressive. In C for example, i, j, n, src, buf, cp, etc. Many moons ago I used IDEs. Eventually I tired of installing, configuring, and maintaining bespoke environments. I'm confident I'm not alone.
  - rudedogg 6y ago
    It's cool you have found a workflow that works for you, but I don't think there are many people using JOE or (plain) vi to write software. https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#technology-_-most-popular-development-environments https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#technology-_-... I can't imagine working that way myself. I need syntax highlighting, code completion, and go to definition at the minimum. Another newer feature I like is spelling and grammar checking of code comments. Edit: Have you given Sublime Text 3 a shot?
    - wahern 6y ago
      The breakdown of "All Respondents" (i.e. all programmers) into Web, Mobile, and SRE/DevOps is telling. Let's just say that it's a big world. People programming Excel spreadsheets aren't using vi, either. I won't dispute that.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

hamandcheese 6y ago

I’d love to understand the rationale for preferring extremely short variable names.

tempest_ 6y ago
Gotta save those bytes
tedk-42 6y ago
Single letter variable names are throw away variables which you don't actually care about except for maybe a line or so. I think to use them when I'm trying to "show my working out" and it takes me back to algebra class days so I don't mind
dmlerner 6y ago
I like short variable names - for variables used in only a short block of code. I like long variable names - for e.g. a field on a struct used all over a file, and certainly exported ones. I think "Go uses single letter variable names" is not so true in practice. There's a balance, in every language, between when to use short and long names. Go's balance is tilted (a good bit) more towards short, but it's not a hard rule. There's significant mental overhead in reading `numberOfSubprotosOnProto`, as well as time hearing it in my head. I'd rather see `n` declared, used a few times in the next <10 lines, and then disappear. If there's two similar concepts in the same function, use slightly longer names, sure. Certainly not m and n. I think that's the same reason math tends to use single letter variables. "Taylor series are easy! Just memorize: 'f_series_degree(evaluation_point, expansion_point) = sum(derivative_order=0..series_degree, (evaluation_point - expansion_point)^derivative_order * f^{derivative_order}(expansion_point) / derivative_order!)' No thanks, I'll take f_n(x, a) = sum(i=0..n, f^n(a)(x-a)^n/n!).
- franklyt 6y ago
  I don’t know if it’s ironic or not, but as someone not into mathematics, the first example is far more readable, and it’s not close.
  - runald 6y ago
    By readable, I think you mean you get to read some whole words thereby get the impression of better readability, but in actuality it doesn't not necessarily aid comprehension if you don't know anything about taylor series, or maths in general. I'm not saying more descriptive variable names doesn't help, but saying that you are not into mathematics makes your point moot.
    - franklyt 6y ago
      But I know what an evaluation is, a point is, a degree is, etc. These words contain semantic data.
justsomeuser 6y ago
Some people prefer lattes, some cappuccinos, but it's all milk baby.

rudedogg 6y ago

Single letter variable names annoy me so much. Every programmer uses an editor or IDE with autocomplete. Just use a damn name that describes the thing, if it's a little long no one cares. CS papers are the worst in my experience. I know lines have to be kept short, but I think some people believe a tiny code block makes them look like a better programmer. I like how Swift does it[0] — it reads nicer than any other language I've used. [0]: https://swift.org/documentation/api-design-guidelines/ https://swift.org/documentation/api-design-guidelines/

wahern 6y ago
> Every programmer uses an editor or IDE with autocomplete. This is news to me. I use JOE and, occasionally, vi (sic). But when I use short variable names it's often because they're idiomatic and expressive. In C for example, i, j, n, src, buf, cp, etc. Many moons ago I used IDEs. Eventually I tired of installing, configuring, and maintaining bespoke environments. I'm confident I'm not alone.
- rudedogg 6y ago
  It's cool you have found a workflow that works for you, but I don't think there are many people using JOE or (plain) vi to write software. https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#technology-_-most-popular-development-environments https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#technology-_-... I can't imagine working that way myself. I need syntax highlighting, code completion, and go to definition at the minimum. Another newer feature I like is spelling and grammar checking of code comments. Edit: Have you given Sublime Text 3 a shot?
  - wahern 6y ago
    The breakdown of "All Respondents" (i.e. all programmers) into Web, Mobile, and SRE/DevOps is telling. Let's just say that it's a big world. People programming Excel spreadsheets aren't using vi, either. I won't dispute that.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]