Cognitive Perspectives on the Role of Naming in Computer Programs

Programming a computer is a complex, cognitively rich process. This paper examines ways in which human cognition is reflected in the text of com- puter programs. We concentrate on naming: the assignment of identifying labels to programmatic constructs. Naming is arbitrary, yet programmers do not select names arbitrarily. Rather, programmers choose and use names in regular, system- atic ways that reflect deep cognitive and linguistic influences. This, in turn, allows names to carry semantic cues that aid in program understanding and support the larger software development process.

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