A model for improving the names of variables, fields, interfaces, classes and namespaces in a system. Practise this and more in my course, The World’s Best Intro to TDD.

(Updated August 23, 2013)

Here is a great example of a structurally accurate name:

You can find the original comic (and more) at Geek and Poke.

The classic name for this kind of class ends in Util. Smalltalk browsers label these classes as a code smell. I have used the intention-revealing name JunkDrawer for classes like these. Once, while working with a team near Philadelphia, we had an Eclipse project like this, which we first called “Dumping Ground”, but which we eventually renamed to “New Jersey”.

(Updated August 29, 2013)

It seems that Geek and Poke have tapped directly into my brain. I will have to use this name in my projects.

You can find the original comic (and more) at Geek and Poke.

References

Arlo Belshee, “Naming is a Process”. Another fantastic series of articles that describes a similar approach to names: improving names over time, rather than feeling stress to “get them right” “the first time”.

Katrina Owen, “What’s In a Name? Anti-Patterns to a Hard Problem”. An example along the path from nonsense through structural naming towards revealing intent, meaning, or purpose.