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In Computer Programming, the programmer most often declare a variable or function with series of underscores.For instance,

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Is there a style name for that kind of sentences/words with series of underscores/understrike/low line/low dash?

EDIT:

I would like to know the style's name.Just like camelCase.

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If you're asking for a name for the style (using_underscores as opposed to camelCase), Wikipedia calls it underscore-based (Wikipedia, "CamelCase," under "History->Computer Programming->The 'Lazy Programmer' theory") – zpletan Apr 2 '12 at 21:22
Let me ask you(person who downvoted this qn) one thing.Can you provide some reason,Why does this question is not useful? – Vijin Paulraj Apr 3 '12 at 5:04
@VijinPaulraj: I have not downvoted the question, but I guess it boils down to this. I personally don't feel this question as off-topic, but I guess non-programmers may feel that way. – nico Apr 3 '12 at 16:37
Please clarify: Do you want a generic name for the sentences/words with underscores themselves, or do you want a name for such a style of naming? – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Apr 3 '12 at 17:17
@FrustratedWithFormsDesigner,style of naming..just like camelCase.. – Vijin Paulraj Apr 4 '12 at 16:34
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3 Answers

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As far as I know and can research in 5 minutes, there isn't even a concise term for it in the computing world where it's still common in certain programming languages; it's just a "lowercase underscored identifier". You might hear of it as "Hungarian notation", but that term relates almost exclusively to the identification of the type and scope of a variable identifier in the name of the identifier itself; "li_local_integer" is Hungarian notation but so is "lintLocalInteger".

The use, obviously, is to avoid whitespace, which is in many languages a de facto division between code elements (keywords, identifiers, sometimes operators). While "camelCasing" and "PascalCasing" as conventions for similar situations have the eponymous terms, there isn't a single catchy term for identifiers that use underscores.

Perhaps "lower_score", "Cap_Score" and "UPPER_SCORE" could be introduced, but as the use of underscores to separate identifiers in actual code is a deprecated style in most of the popular languages, it's unlikely to catch on.

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I had a CS teacher who called them engineer's spaces, but I doubt that it was common usage. Stroustrup just calls them, "underscores to separate words in an identifier." I feel like if there were a common name, he would know about it and use it, so wikipedia's underscore-based is probably the best you're going to get.

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up vote -1 down vote

If you want a name for the style of "sentences/words with series of underscores/understrike/low line/low dash", I'd go with "underscored", as I've heard that in use.

Example:

Please make sure all database tables are named in an underscored fashion.

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Can someone explain the downvoting on these answers? – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Apr 2 '12 at 20:58
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I can't explain it. A string of words joined by underscores has no meaning in standard English - it's just something encouraged by programming languages. So I don't see how you can call it anything other than a symbol (or perhaps, identifier, but that won't be correct in all contexts). Cornbread's CamelCase is an interesting digression, but this looks like the only plausible "answer" to me. – FumbleFingers Apr 2 '12 at 21:23
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@FrustratedWithFormsDesigner: he is asking for the name of a specific style in naming variables in programming. symbol, although not wrong is not a specific name for that style, as it also applies to the camelCased version of the variable's name (and to any other style). – nico Apr 3 '12 at 16:26
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@nico: It's not entirely clear to me if the OP is asking for a term for "sentences/words with series of underscores/understrike/low line/low dash" or a term that refers to the style of such sentences/words, but the first interpretation seemed most likely to me. – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Apr 3 '12 at 17:15
@FrustratedWithFormsDesigner: I would propend for the second, otherwise I agree that the question would be pointless. – nico Apr 3 '12 at 17:22

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