Writing clean, consistent code isn't just about logic-naming plays a big part. Whether you're working solo or on a team, using clear naming conventions makes your code easier to read, maintain, and scale.

Below are the most widely used naming conventions across programming languages, with code examples and when to use each.

camelCase

In camelCase, the first word is lowercase, and each subsequent word starts with a capital letter. This is commonly used for variables, functions, and object properties in JavaScript and many other languages.

JavaScript
let userName = "johndoe";
function getUserProfile() {
  // ...
}

PascalCase

PascalCase is similar to camelCase, except the first word also starts with a capital letter. It's often used for classes and constructors.

TypeScript
class UserProfile {
  constructor(public userName: string) {}
}

snake_case

snake_case uses all lowercase letters with underscores between words. It's the convention of choice in Python for function names, variable names, and sometimes file names.

Python
def get_user_profile():
    pass

user_name = "johndoe"

kebab-case

kebab-case uses lowercase words separated by hyphens. Since hyphens aren't allowed in variable names in most languages, it's primarily used for CSS classes, file names, and URLs.

Plain Text
user-profile-card
main-header-style

SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE

This style uses all uppercase letters with underscores, and it's commonly used for constants and configuration keys.

JavaScript
const MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS = 5;
const API_ENDPOINT = "https://api.example.com";

Summary

Here's a quick reference comparing each naming convention and when to use it:

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Final Thoughts

While there's no one-size-fits-all rule, sticking to the standard naming conventions of your language or framework helps reduce confusion and makes collaboration smoother. The goal is clarity-pick a convention that's readable and consistent, and your future self (and teammates) will thank you.