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I'm a programmer and often create login/register forms. I'd really like a single word to use to describe a form that lets the user login/register. Sort of like "authentication", but that's really more specific to the login part. The next best I can come up with is "onboarding", but that really applies more to the register part. Does such a word exist?

Edit: I'm really looking for this from a coding perspective, not to display on the page (i.e. it doesn't need to be user-friendly). I just want it to be concise so that I can avoid variables like "login_register".

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    Why not steal from the hospitality industry and use check-in? Hotels have you do so whether or not you have an existing reservation on file.
    – bib
    Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:18
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    There's a reason why you find Login/Register or Sign in/Sign up everywhere. So there's no ambiguity left, even more so for a layman who is perhaps visiting a website for the first time. Unless you want to create a page that then leads to the sign in/sign up thing, that's a different story.
    – Dust_In_The_Wind
    Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:29
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    I'm referring more to in-code than for displaying on the page. login_register or loginRegister as variable names are annoying, and I'd like to be more concise.
    – ggutenberg
    Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:33
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    "Upsert user" :)
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:36
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because program variable naming is off-topic.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Feb 19, 2019 at 12:55

5 Answers 5

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This form is the single point of entry for new and existing users, so I suggest

entry

as an appropriate name for a single form for both login and registration.

The name makes it clear it's the entry point.

The only other name that springs to mind is account, but I think that would be better kept for something that allows you to change your email, password, settings etc.

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  • I like entry the best of all the suggestions. Thanks.
    – ggutenberg
    Commented Sep 11, 2014 at 14:06
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what about signing? you sign in, you sign up, you sign out. Signing form.

Personally, I'd create separate forms for both functions, since they really aren't the same and don't call the same functions. This is why, generally, websites have a separate form for registering and logging in, even if it's basically the same 2 or 3 fields on the form.

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  • If I sign up, I'm going to be doing something. If I sign in, I'm here.
    – SrJoven
    Commented Sep 11, 2014 at 2:15
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I would keep it general, trying to encompass the common ground shared by both "log in" and "register": they allow the user to interact with the program or website services.

I'd go with

user admission / access

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A very good question indeed.

I would suggest onboarding.

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  • Onboarding would include registering, but it doesn't seem to match logging in.
    – jimm101
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 22:25
  • Onboarding is rejected in the question itself.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 22:41
  • @JanusBahsJacquet he didn't reject it, but he was skeptical about the word.
    – technophyle
    Commented Dec 15, 2016 at 3:42
  • @jimm101 I beg to disagree. You are not "on board" until you're registered or logged in. Even if you're a registered user, if you're not logged in, you're not "on board" yet - you're probably still seeing the welcome screen. So I think onboarding can fit here.
    – technophyle
    Commented Dec 15, 2016 at 3:43
  • I consider "onboarding" to refer to the sign-up/registration process. Getting on board with the app/service/whatever. I consider "I've been onboarded, but I'm not currently logged in" to be a valid statement.
    – ggutenberg
    Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 17:47
0 
access
make session
authentication
auth
SSO
join & connect
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    This exceedingly brief answer does not meet the standard expected on EL&U. An answer here is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct - preferably by quoting a reference (e.g. a dictionary definition) for each suggestion, hyperlinked to the source. You can edit your post to add this detail; for further guidance, see How to Answer. Make sure you also take the Tour :-)
    – Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 22:14

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