Question

In PHP, we (at least the good programmers) always start general variable names with a lower-case letter, but class variables/objects with an upper-case letter to distinguish them. In the same way we start general file names with a lower case letter, but files containing Classes with an upper case letter.

E.g.:

<?php     $number = 123;     $string = "a string";     $colors_array = array('red', 'blue', 'red');     $Cat = New Cat(); ?> 

Are the conventions the same in Java, i.e., objects starting with upper-case, but the rest with lower case, or does everything start with lower case as I’ve read in other places?

Answer 1

Generally, all variables will start with lower case:

int count = 32; double conversionFactor = 1.5d; 

Some people like to put static constants in all case:

public static final double KILOGRAM_TO_POUND = 2.20462262; 

Things get more annoying when you deal with acronyms, and there is no real standard on whether you should use:

HTMLHandler myHtmlHandler;  

or

HTMLHandler myHTMLHandler. 

Now, either way, note that the class names (Object, String, HTMLHandler) always start with a capital letter, but individual object variables start lowercase.