

The world's two worst variable names - autotravis
http://www.oreillynet.com/onlamp/blog/2004/03/the_worlds_two_worst_variable.html

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jgeorge
I was expecting "foo" and "bar", honestly. At least things like "data" you can
argue the point that the variable contains data (and thus at least isn't a
counter or contain state).

Which is at least better than "foo".

My favorite though is still expletives as variable names. You can tell from
the number of them just how frustrating the code was to write. I recall
digging through some particularly hairy boot code a few years ago where
/every/ variable name was a swear word. Must have given the developer fits to
get working. :-)

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p_s_w
No love for $x, $y, or $z?

~~~
Millennium
In those cases, at least, there are some longstanding traditions that impart
meaning to those names. Break those traditions at your own peril, but if you
use them within the proper context, that's not a bad thing at all. The same
applies to $i and $j.

~~~
p_s_w
Not when they're used in every context.

~~~
Millennium
Well, yes, but I already covered that: if the names don't fit within the
tradition that imparts meaning to them, then you need more descriptive names.

