The importance of naming

In this talk, I walk through examples of bad naming, and derive my naming principles from them:

1. Use only one name to refer to a concept.
2. Give different concepts different names.
3. Rename concepts when principles are violated.
4. Ensure names match meaning.
5. Break up concepts that cannot be named properly.
6. Be consistently correct.

Transcript

1. The importance
   
   
   of
   Denis Defreyne RUG
   :
   :
   B 2020
   -
   02
   -
   06
   naming
   

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2. principles
   cases +
   

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3. Inventory
   CASE 1
   

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4. moving inventory list
   

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5. moving inventory list
   Umzugsgutliste
   

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6. moving inventory list
   Umzugsgutliste moving goods list
   

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7. moving inventory list
   Umzugsgutliste moving goods list
   inventory of items
   

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8. Use only one name to refer to a thing.
   PRINCIPLE 1
   

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9. Use industry-standard names when possible.
   PRINCIPLE 1b
   

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10. Inventory, redux
    CASE 2
    

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11. moving inventory list
    Umzugsgutliste
    

    moving goods list
    

    inventory of items
    

    

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12. moving inventory list
    Umzugsgutliste
    
 (
    UGL
    )
    moving goods list
    

    inventory of items
    

    

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13. moving inventory list
    Umzugsgutliste
    
 (
    UGL
    )
    moving goods list
    
 (
    MGL
    )
    inventory of items
    

    

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14. moving inventory list
    Umzugsgutliste
    
 (
    UGL
    )
    moving goods list
    
 (
    MGL
    )
    inventory of items
    
 (
    IOI
    )
    

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15. moving inventory list
    Umzugsgutliste
    
 (
    UGL
    )
    moving goods list
    
 (
    MGL
    )
    inventory of items
    
 (
    IOI
    )
    

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16. glossary
    

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17. Give different things different names.
    PRINCIPLE 2
    

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18. Staging
    CASE 3
    

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19. 1 2 3 4 5
    stage
    

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20. 1 2 3 4 5
    stage 1
    –
    5
    

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21. 1 2 3 4 5
    pipeline stages
    

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22. 1 2 3 4 5
    SalesForce stage
    

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23. 1 2 3 4 5
    SalesForce staging
    

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24. staging stage
    qa
    ??? ??? ???
    

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25. staging
    + sandboxes
    

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26. Rename things when principles are violated.
    PRINCIPLE 3
    

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27. Make renaming easy.
    PRINCIPLE 3b
    

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28. Leads
    CASE 4
    

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29. lead
    

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30. lead the contact information […]
    
    
    of a customer who is interested
    
    
    in a specific product or service.
    

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31. the
    

    outside
    

    world
    

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32. Lead
    Manager
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    

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33. Lead
    Manager
    Core
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    

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34. Lead
    Manager
    Core
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    Salesforce
    

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35. Lead
    Manager
    Core
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    Salesforce
    

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36. Lead
    Manager
    Core
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    Salesforce
    manages leads
    

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37. Lead
    Manager
    Core
    the
    

    outside
    

    world
    Salesforce
    manages leads
    does not
    

    manage leads
    

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38. Ensure names match meaning.
    PRINCIPLE 4
    

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39. Leads, redux
    CASE 5
    

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40. Core
    

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41. Core
    leads
    id from_street to_street …
    

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42. Break up things that can’t be named properly.
    PRINCIPLE 5
    

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43. Importers and exporters
    CASE 6
    

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44. Core Salesforce
    

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45. Core Salesforce
    Importer
    Exporter
    

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46. Core Salesforce
    Exporter
    Importer
    

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47. Core Salesforce
    Importer
    Exporter
    

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48. Core
    Exporter
    Importer
    Exporter
    Exporter
    Importer
    Importer
    Exporter
    Importer
    

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49. Core
    Importer
    Exporter
    Importer
    Importer
    Exporter
    Exporter
    Importer
    Exporter
    

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50. Core
    Importer
    Exporter
    Importer
    Exporter
    Exporter
    Importer
    Importer
    Exporter
    

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51. Be consistently correct.
    PRINCIPLE 6
    

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52. 1 2 3 4 5 6
    

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53. Bonus round!
    CASE ∞
    

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54. Total price
    = total_price
    

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55. Total price
    = total_price +
    

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56. hercules hercules-ui
    

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57. hercules hercules-ui
    UI lives here
    

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58. UI
    

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59. UI api.company.de
    

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60. View Slide

61. P1 Use only one name to refer to a thing.
    

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62. P1
    Give different things different names.
    

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63. P1
    Rename things when principles are violated.
    

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64. P1
    Ensure names match meaning.
    

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65. P1
    Break up things that can’t be named properly.
    

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66. P1
    Be consistently correct.
    

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67. 1 2 3 4 5 6 DONE
    

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68. DONE
    

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69. View Slide