Programmer Musings

True Names

In some legends and in fantasy, there is the concept of a True Name. Once you know someone's true name, you have power over them. To guard against problems with this most people would commonly use a use name that everyone actually uses to refer to them to keep their true name safe.

In programming, True Names exist, even though people don't think of them as such. Programs, systems, routines, and concepts are all referred to in many ways. But of the many ways to refer to something, only one is the item's true name. An item's true name is the one that exposes it's essence in the simplest way possible.

One way to spot that you are not using a concept's true name is when you have to give explanation along with the name every time you describe it.

One of the major contributions of the book "Design Patterns" was to provide true names for several design techniques. This caused a large number of programmers and designers to wake up to the idea of the importance of a name for communication.

This hit me during a particularly sleep-deprived portion of my career.