Use UpperCamelCase for class names. Use lowerCamelCase for method names, variable names, and names of fields that are not
both static and final. Use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE for names of fields that are both static and final.
Method names should generally be verb phrases (tick, getCarversForStep), except for "withX", "toX", "fromX", "of" and
builder methods. Class names and non-boolean field and variable names should be noun phrases (ChunkRegion, color).
Boolean field and variable names should always be adjective phrases or present tense verb phrases (powered, canOpen),
avoiding the is and has prefixes when possible (colored, not isColored or hasColor).
To make code as easy to read as possible, keep names in the natural language order. For example, a class representing a chest
block entity should be named ChestBlockEntity rather than BlockEntityChest. Though prefix naming may be helpful for
grouping classes together in an IDE's tree view, reading and writing code is done much more often than browsing files.
Use American English for consistency throughout Yarn and with known Mojang names.
If there are two accepted spellings of the same word, first check if one is already being used in Yarn or by Mojang, and if not, use the most common spelling.
Omit words that are made redundant by parameter names or owner class names. For example, use getChunk(BlockPos pos) rather
than getChunkAtPosition(BlockPos pos) and Box.create rather than Box.createBox. Don't avoid overloading methods or
shadowing fields.
However, it's more important for a name to be descriptive rather than short, so don't omit important words. When naming something always look at all its usages, including overriding methods and inheriting classes.
It's important to be concise especially with names used in many places throughout the code, while more obscure names can be longer and more descriptive.
Avoid abbreviations unless it's a common one everyone knows and other yarn names involving the same word use its abbreviated form. Full names are easier to read quickly and remember ("Which words were abbreviated?") and they often don't take more time to type thanks to IDE autocompletion. Common abbreviations you should use are:
- "id" for "identifier"
- "pos" for "position"
- "nbt" for "named binary tag"
- "init" for "initialize"
- Any abbreviations used by Java or libraries ("json", "html", etc.)
Treat acronyms as single words rather than capitalising every letter. This improves readability (compare JsonObject and
JSONObject) and it's consistent with Mojang naming (a known name is NbtIo).
Package names should always be singular to respect Java conventions. Try to respect the Mojang package structure to avoid visibility problems in the future.
Consistency is important as it makes code more readable and names easier to memorize. When possible, use terms that are present in other Yarn names, in libraries used by Minecraft, or in vanilla strings. The rest of this section lists common names and name patterns you should use.
Use "tick" for updates done once per tick. Use "update" for other kind of updates.
Use the word "last" for the value that something had last tick (lastX, lastWidth, etc.).
Use "get" for non-boolean getters and other methods that calculate some property with no side effects other than caching a value in a private field. For boolean getters, use "is".
Use "set" for methods that set some property. Name the parameter the same as the property (setColor(color), not
setColor(newColor)).
Use "with" for methods that return a copy of an object with a different value for some property. Name the parameter the same as the property.
Use "create" for methods that create a new instance of some object. Use "get or create" for methods that create a new instance only if one does not already exist. Don't use "get or create" for lazy initialization, though.
Use "serializer" for objects whose purpose is serializing or deserializing some type of object (RecipeSerializer). Use
"serialize" and "deserialize" for methods only when serializing or deserializing an object other than the one the method is in.
Use "from" for static methods that create an object of the method owner's type (fromJson, fromNbt, fromString). Use "to"
for methods that convert an object to another type (toString, toLong, toNbt).
Use "read" for non-static methods that load data into the object. Use "write" for methods that save data to an existing object passed as a parameter.
Use "factory" for objects whose purpose is creating other objects.
Use "builder" for objects whose purpose is helping with the creation of an immutable object. Name builder methods the same as the field they're setting, without any prefix.
Use a plural name for collections and maps rather than the words "list", "set", "array", etc., unless it's a collection of
collections or there are several collections of different types containing the same objects (entities, entityLists).
When it's enough, name maps based on the value type. Otherwise, name it in the "valuesByKeys" format.
Coordinates can be named x, y, and z when it's clear what they represent. If clarification is needed, add a word in
front of the coordinate (velocityX, not xVelocity).
Name screen coordinates x and y, rather than left and top.
Use names that match names in strings in the vanilla code, unless that string is outdated or inaccurate. This avoids confusion, especially from new modders who may not understand what an class exception message is referring to.
Even if a known Mojang name doesn't appear in any strings, it's a good idea to use it since the official name is a good
indicator of the the class's actual purpose and makes it less likely the name will have to be changed in the future. For
example, don't name a class that Mojang calls BedrockBlock NoSpawningBlock, even if its only purpose is to disable mob
spawning, because Mojang may decide to override more methods in that class, breaking mods that were using it in an unexpected
way.
There are however three exceptions to this rule:
- Use "world" for what Mojang calls "level" (see FabricMC/yarn#89)
- Use "container" for what Mojang calls "menu" (see FabricMC/yarn#386)
- Use "inventory" for what Mojang calls "container" (no issue yet, requires renaming "container" first)
Don't name methods based on implementation details. Names should describe what methods do, not how they work.
Avoid including Java-related information in names. For example, don't prefix class names with I, or Enum and
don't prefix methods with private. Instead, try to find meaningful names to describe differences between classes. In the
case of abstract classes, this may involve renaming subclasses to more specific names.