Code Smell 265 - Linguistic Confusion

Overcomplicating Naming Leads to Chaos

TL;DR: Naming is hard, don't make it harder with unnecessary accidental complexity.

Problems

• Unclear, misleading, vague, and ambiguous names
• Redundant terminology
• Confusing abstractions
• Cryptic abbreviations

Solutions

1. Simplify naming conventions
2. Ensure consistency
3. Avoid unnecessary jargon
4. Use descriptive names based on behavior
5. Maintain consistent terminology

Context

Ludwig Wittgenstein argued that much confusion arises from language misuse.

This happens when you overcomplicate names, mix metaphors, or use inconsistent terminology.

When you name classes, methods, or variables without clarity, you create a linguistic maze that others struggle to navigate.

This causes bugs, makes maintenance harder, and leads to team frustration.

Sample Code

Wrong

public class AbstractDataHandlerManager {
    private String dtStr;
    
    public void execProcessingOps(String input) {
        if (dtStr != null && !dtStr.isEmpty()) {
            // process
        }
    }
}

Right

public class SETIProcessor {
    
    public void processSignal(String input) {      
            // process
        }
    }
}

Detection

• [x]Manual

You can detect this smell when names start to get long, or when you see "Abstract", "Manager," "Handler," "Helper", or "Data" too often.

Another sign is when you must explain what a name means to other developers for example in a code review.

Tag(s)

Naming

Level

• [x]Beginner

AI Generation

AI generators often create this smell by producing verbose and generic names that attempt to cover every possible context.

They are experts in many domains and write code, but frequently they don't do both at once unless instructed.

AI Detection

AI generators can sometimes fix this smell with simple refactoring instructions like "simplify names" or "remove redundant terms," but struggle with deeper contextual understanding.

Conclusion

Linguistic confusion in code leads to unnecessary complexity.

Use clear, consistent, and straightforward naming to make your code easier to read and maintain.

Related Reading

https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9

https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-viii-8mn3352

https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxx

https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxiii

More Info

The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.

George Orwell