From: David Jacobs <developer@...>
Date: 2011-02-25T21:49:59+09:00
Subject: Re: Style question

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I guess Matz could speak to this better than I can, but I think that underscores are an aesthetic choice. They aren't necessarily a pragmatic one, re: strokes involved. Because the underscores are an aesthetic choice, there is no rational way of demonstrating that they're better.

However, consider that:

1. Underscores give variable names a flow - they don't disrupt the code around them
2. Underscores mirror standard English prose: it's easy to read underscored variables "without the underscores":

Consider:

def render(results)
# render results
end

resultsNeedRendering = true
render results if resultsNeedRendering

results_need_rendering = true
render results if results_need_rendering 

I can tell you anecdotally that 6 years ago, moving from Java, I was very opposed to snake_case. Now, I can't imagine going back to camelCase.

David
On Friday, 25 February 2011 at 7:28 am, Bill Felton wrote:
Hi all,
> Quick (I hope) question about preferred style for variable naming. I see reference in various books to a preferred Ruby style of underscores in variable names in preference to camel case. (my_variable_has_this_name vs myVariableHasThisName).
> Why?
> Two reasons I ask, a better one and a poorer one. The poorer one is that I come from Smalltalk where camel case is standard and expected.
> The better one is that camel case seems easier to type, the shift key being both easier to reach and 'more familiar' to the hands than the underscore.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Bill
> 

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