An Investigation of Identifier Naming Practices and Challenges among University Students

Abstract

Identifier names play a pivotal role in software maintenance as they contribute significantly to program comprehension and readability. They provide valuable context for the functionality or purpose of the program. Existing research explores different aspects of identifier names, including length, styling, and structure, and how they impact developers. Consequences of poorly named identifiers have been shown to compromise code quality and maintenance, highlighting the importance of education and identifier naming practices. However, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of naming practices among students in higher education. This study explores the practices and challenges associated with identifier naming among students. The study involved 120 student participants tasked with identifying poor-quality names in a predefined code snippet and providing alternative names. Participants also completed a detailed questionnaire about their experience with identifier naming best practices, including their academic learning in this area. The study found that student participants agree on the crucial role of identifier names in detecting defects and code readability. Most participants highlighted that instructor guidelines and assignment instructions emphasize identifier names. However, insufficient resources and a lack of feedback and communication between instructors and students may contribute to many participants (85.84\%) having only partial or no familiarity with the guidelines or recommendations for crafting high-quality identifier names. These findings either support or expand upon existing research on identifier names and provide insights into the motivations behind naming and renaming practices.