go-naming

Go Naming Conventions

Go uses naming to encode visibility (UpperCamelCase = exported, lowerCamelCase = unexported), so naming is load-bearing — not cosmetic. Names should be short, contextual, and non-repetitive. The package name is always present at the call site; pretending otherwise is the single biggest source of bad Go names.

Core Rules

1. MixedCaps only. No underscores, no SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE, no kHungarian. Exceptions: test subtests (TestFoo_BadInput), generated code, cgo.
2. Capitalization is visibility. Exported, unexported. Do not invent other conventions.
3. No stuttering. The package name is at the call site; http.HTTPClient is wrong, http.Client is right.
4. Scope drives length. i is fine in a 3-line loop; package-level vars need descriptive names.
5. Initialisms keep one case. userID, HTTPServer, ParseURL — never userId, HttpServer, ParseUrl.
6. Receivers are 1-2 letter abbreviations, consistent across all methods of the type. Never this/self.

Naming Decision Flow

What are you naming?
├─ Package        → lowercase single word, singular, specific (not util/common/helper)
├─ File           → lowercase, underscores OK (user_handler.go)
├─ Interface      → method + "-er" when single-method (Reader, Closer, Stringer)
├─ Struct/Type    → MixedCaps noun (Request, FileHeader)
├─ Constructor    → New() if package has one primary type; NewThing() if multiple
├─ Constant       → MixedCaps; never ALL_CAPS; role-based not value-based
├─ Enum (iota)    → type-prefix + Unknown/Invalid at position 0
├─ Sentinel error → ErrXxx (var ErrNotFound = errors.New("..."))
├─ Error type     → XxxError (type PathError struct{})
├─ Boolean field  → is/has/can prefix (isReady, hasPerm)
├─ Getter         → field name only (Owner()), never GetOwner()
├─ Setter         → SetXxx (SetOwner)
├─ Option         → WithXxx (WithLogger, WithPort)
├─ Variant        → WithContext suffix, In suffix (in-place), Must prefix (panics)
└─ Variable       → length proportional to scope distance