Snake Case vs. Kebab Case: When naming variables, functions, or file names in programming, it’s important to be consistent and clear. Different programming languages and communities have different naming conventions to make things easier to read and ensure everything is uniform across codebases. Two common naming conventions used in many programming languages are Snake Case and Kebab Case.
Snake Case vs. Kebab Case
Snake Case uses underscores between words (like_this), while Kebab Case uses hyphens (like-this).
Choose Snake Case for languages like Python and Ruby, and Kebab Case for HTML, CSS, and some programming languages like Lisp.
In this article, we’ll explore the differences between Snake Case and Kebab Case, their usage, and provide examples to help you decide which one fits best for your projects.
snake_case
Snake Case (snake_case) is a great way to name your variables! It’s a naming convention where words are separated by underscores (_), and all letters are lowercase. It’s popular in languages like Python, Ruby, and other scripting languages. Snake Case is a great choice for its readability and compatibility with languages that don’t allow spaces or special characters in identifiers.
Example:
snake_case_variable = 42
user_name = "John Doe"
calculate_sum_of_numbers()kebab-case
Have you heard of the kebab-case? It’s a cool little thing similar to the snake case but uses hyphens (-) instead of underscores to separate words. It’s super handy for URLs, HTML attributes, CSS classes, and some programming languages like Lisp, Clojure, and CSS. The Kebab case is a great option if you want to make your content more readable in contexts where hyphens are more natural or required.
Example:
kebab-case-variable = 42
user-profile = "John Doe"
calculate-average-of-values()
Choosing Between Snake Case and Kebab Case
It can be tricky to know which is the best way to name your variables. It often depends on the conventions of the programming language, framework, or community you’re working with. However, here are some general guidelines to consider:
If it’s within a language or framework that commonly uses one style over the other, it’s best to follow that convention for consistency. Additionally, think about the readability of your code and choose the naming convention that makes the code easier to understand for yourself and others.
Integration and Compatibility: If your code needs to interact with systems or libraries that have specific naming requirements, adhere to those requirements to ensure compatibility and seamless integration. Sometimes, it all comes down to personal or team preferences. If there’s no strict convention in place, it’s a great idea to discuss with your team and agree on a consistent naming style to use throughout the project.
Conclusion
Snake Case and Kebab Case are both great ways to name things in programming. They’re easy to read and consistent, which is great! Snake Case uses underscores to separate words, while Kebab Case uses hyphens. It’s mostly down to language conventions, readability, and personal or team preferences.