How to name associated property and variable?

Question

I want to create private list, while making it public as readonly\unwriteable, unable to add\remove\insert cells\nodes to the list.

My current solution is:

public IEnumerable<DataToken> DataTokens {
    get {
        return from v in _datatokens select v;
    }
}
private List<DataToken> _datatokens;

I know the property's name is fine, but what about the variable's name? I can't name it dataTokens because it's parameter's name's format. Currently I call it _datatokens that is really bad name.

Is there a better alternative? I couldn't find anything about it at msdn.

`dataTokens` and `DataTokens` are two different identifiers in C#. You could name your field `dataTokens`. — Dirk, Sep 23 '14 at 11:47
@CodeCaster In C++ where screaming constant are there, _ is bad. — KugBuBu, Sep 23 '14 at 11:49
What does _"It's parameter's name's format"_ mean? Can you phrase that differently or show relevant code? And what are screaming constants? Anyway prefixing private fields with underscores is pretty common in C#. — CodeCaster, Sep 23 '14 at 11:50
Someone can cast the result to a `List` and then it wouldn't be readonly anymore... — Dennis_E, Sep 23 '14 at 11:52
@CodeCaster `DataType parameterType, DataType returnType` this is the correct way to type parameters, look at their names, they start with non-capital letter. C++ has `I_MAKE_HORROR` names. — KugBuBu, Sep 23 '14 at 11:53
Why is `_datatokens` a 'really bad name'? I quite often name backing fields using the same convention. What's stopping you from using `dataTokens` as the field name anyway? — DGibbs, Sep 23 '14 at 11:53
@Dennis_E Just tested it, I will rename it to `ReadOnlyCollection`. — KugBuBu, Sep 23 '14 at 11:56
possible duplicate of [C# Field Naming Guidelines?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3186853/c-sharp-field-naming-guidelines) — Patrice Gahide, Sep 23 '14 at 12:02

Patrick Hofman · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-23T11:54:19.670

2

Since identifiers are case-sensitive in C#, there is nothing against datatokens as a variable name.

There is a guideline available on MSDN that would suggests it to be dataTokens (camel-cased).

By the way, you should use ReadOnlyCollection<T> as return type to make it read-only to the outside world, so I would suggest to split this one up in two properties with different access modifiers.

edited Sep 23 '14 at 11:54

answered Sep 23 '14 at 11:48

Patrick Hofman

153,850
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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 23 '14 at 11:51

0

C# also supports auto-properties, so you can save yourself the trouble of solving this conundrum and simply declare your property thus;

public IEnumerable<DataToken> DataTokens { get; private set; }

answered Sep 23 '14 at 11:51

RJ Lohan

6,497
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I need to use it as `List` too. – KugBuBu Sep 23 '14 at 11:53

How to name associated property and variable?

2 Answers2