Be Imperative!! TL;DR: Functions with unclear names hide intent and confuse readers. Use descriptive, action-oriented names. Problems Unclear function purpose
Increased cognitive load
Misleading context
Reduced readability
Difficult collaboration
Hidden functionality Solutions Use action-oriented verbs
Make names descriptive
Reflect the function’s purpose
Avoid generic terms
Provide meaningful context
Express single responsibility clearly
Match action to outcome Refactorings https://hackernoon.com/improving-the-code-one-line-at-a-time Context Functions named with generic terms force readers to dive into the implementation to understand their behavior. This wastes time and increases the chance of errors. Naming becomes even more critical when working with standalone functions, where the class name doesn't provide additional context. This issue directly relates to the Tell, Don’t Ask principle. Instead of exposing ambiguous behaviors that force the caller to infer functionality, imperative names convey the exact action, guiding the reader without needing to inspect the code. When you name functions descriptively, you eliminate unnecessary guesswork and align with this principle. Sample Code Wrong public String dateFormatting(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void load() {
    System.out.println("Loading...");
} Right public String formatDate(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void loadUserPreferences() {
    System.out.println("Loading user preferences...");
} Detection [x]Manual You can detect this smell by reviewing function names that use vague terms like do, run, process, load, etc. Automated linters can flag these patterns or highlight functions with overly generic names. Tags Naming Level [x]Beginner Why the Bijection Is Important Function names should create a clear one-to-one correspondence between their name and functionality. Breaking this Bijection forces developers to examine code details for context, slowing down debugging, reviews, and extensions. AI Generation AI tools sometimes generate generic function names without understanding your domain. When using AI, specify that function names must be descriptive and action-oriented. AI Detection AI models can help detect ambiguous names by comparing function signatures with predefined naming best practices. Combining AI with manual code review yields the best results. Try Them! Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini Conclusion Function names are not just labels; they are contracts with the reader. Ambiguous names break this contract and lead to confusion. Descriptive, action-oriented names simplify communication and make your code easier to maintain and extend. Relations https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxi?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-viii-8mn3352?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxv?embedable=true See also https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-the-quest-part-i-fmw3udc?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-rehab-part-ii-4st3uph?embedable=true Disclaimer Code Smells are my opinion. Credits Photo by britishlibrary on Unsplash A function name should be a verb or a verb phrase, and it needs to be meaningful Robert C. Martin https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true Be Imperative!! Be Imperative!! TL;DR: Functions with unclear names hide intent and confuse readers. Use descriptive, action-oriented names. TL;DR: Functions with unclear names hide intent and confuse readers. Use descriptive, action-oriented names. Problems Unclear function purpose Increased cognitive load Misleading context Reduced readability Difficult collaboration Hidden functionality Unclear function purpose Increased cognitive load Misleading context Reduced readability Difficult collaboration Hidden functionality Solutions Use action-oriented verbs Make names descriptive Reflect the function’s purpose Avoid generic terms Provide meaningful context Express single responsibility clearly Match action to outcome Use action-oriented verbs Make names descriptive names Reflect the function’s purpose Avoid generic terms Provide meaningful context Express single responsibility clearly Match action to outcome Refactorings https://hackernoon.com/improving-the-code-one-line-at-a-time https://hackernoon.com/improving-the-code-one-line-at-a-time Context Functions named with generic terms force readers to dive into the implementation to understand their behavior. This wastes time and increases the chance of errors. Naming becomes even more critical when working with standalone functions, where the class name doesn't provide additional context. Naming This issue directly relates to the Tell, Don’t Ask principle . Tell, Don’t Ask principle Instead of exposing ambiguous behaviors that force the caller to infer functionality, imperative names convey the exact action, guiding the reader without needing to inspect the code. When you name functions descriptively, you eliminate unnecessary guesswork and align with this principle. Sample Code Wrong public String dateFormatting(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void load() {
    System.out.println("Loading...");
} public String dateFormatting(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void load() {
    System.out.println("Loading...");
} Right public String formatDate(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void loadUserPreferences() {
    System.out.println("Loading user preferences...");
} public String formatDate(Date date) {
    return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").format(date);
}

public void loadUserPreferences() {
    System.out.println("Loading user preferences...");
} Detection [x]Manual [x] Manual [x] You can detect this smell by reviewing function names that use vague terms like do , run , process , load , etc. do run process load Automated linters can flag these patterns or highlight functions with overly generic names. Tags Naming Naming Level [x]Beginner [x] Beginner [x] Why the Bijection Is Important Function names should create a clear one-to-one correspondence between their name and functionality. one-to-one correspondence Breaking this Bijection forces developers to examine code details for context, slowing down debugging, reviews, and extensions. Bijection AI Generation AI tools sometimes generate generic function names without understanding your domain. When using AI, specify that function names must be descriptive and action-oriented. AI Detection AI models can help detect ambiguous names by comparing function signatures with predefined naming best practices. Combining AI with manual code review yields the best results. Try Them! Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions ChatGPT

ChatGPT Claude

Claude Perplexity

Perplexity Copilot

Copilot Gemini

Gemini Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions Without Proper Instructions Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions With Specific Instructions ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Conclusion Function names are not just labels; they are contracts with the reader. Ambiguous names break this contract and lead to confusion. Ambiguous names Descriptive, action-oriented names simplify communication and make your code easier to maintain and extend. Relations https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxi?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxi?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-viii-8mn3352?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-viii-8mn3352?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxv?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxv?embedable=true See also https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-the-quest-part-i-fmw3udc?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-the-quest-part-i-fmw3udc?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-rehab-part-ii-4st3uph?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-rehab-part-ii-4st3uph?embedable=true Disclaimer Code Smells are my opinion . opinion Credits Photo by britishlibrary on Unsplash britishlibrary Unsplash A function name should be a verb or a verb phrase, and it needs to be meaningful A function name should be a verb or a verb phrase, and it needs to be meaningful Robert C. Martin Robert C. Martin https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true

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Code Smell 285 - How to Fix Non-Imperative Functions

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