Rules for Naming Variables

Rules for Naming Variables in C++ Proper naming enhances readability, maintainability, and reduces bugs. Here are the key rules:

Syntax Rules

• Must begin with a letter (A–Z, a–z) or underscore _.
• Subsequent characters can include letters, digits (0–9), and underscores.
• Cannot start with a digit or include special characters like @, $, %.

Reserved Keywords

• Cannot use C++ reserved words (e.g., int, class, for, return) as variable names.

Best Practices

• Use descriptive names: totalScore instead of ts.
• Maintain case sensitivity: Score and score are treated as different variables.
• Prefer camelCase or snake_case styles consistently.
• Avoid single-letter names except in loop counters: e.g., i, j.