Meaningful names

301.7 Maintainable Code

Maintainable Code — Note 1 of 4

Clear and descriptive identifiers.

What you need to know

Meaningful names tell the reader what a variable or function does without needing extra comments. Code with clear names is easier to debug and maintain.

What to know

Use full words: total_score not ts
Name should describe purpose, not type
Functions should describe their action: calculate_area()
Avoid abbreviations unless universally known

Code examples

Meaningful vs unclear names

python

# Clear
student_age = 15
total_marks = 87

# Unclear
sa = 15
tm = 87

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Specification notes for programming are in Paper 2.