Understanding When to Use Different Cases in Luau Scripting

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#1

Hey fellow developers!

I wanted to discuss the ways we name things. How we write them in Luau scripts. Naming conventions play a role, in making our code easy to understand, update and look professional. Lets take a look at the styles of naming and when its best to use them in Luau scripting, for Roblox projects.

1. camelCase

CamelCase is a popular naming convention where the first word is in lowercase, and each word after starts with an uppercase letter. It looks like this: myVariableName.

When to use CamelCase:

  • Variables: Most commonly used for local variables and non-constant global variables.
    • Example: playerHealth, enemyCount.
  • Function Names: Frequently used for function names.
    • Example: getPlayerScore(), updateEnemyPosition().

Example:

local playerHealth = 100
local function updatePlayerHealth(amount)
    playerHealth = playerHealth + amount
end

2. PascalCase

PascalCase is similar to CamelCase, but the first letter of each word, including the first word, is capitalized. It looks like this: MyClassName.

When to use PascalCase:

  • Class Names: Ideal for naming classes, modules, or constructors.
    • Example: PlayerController, GameService.
  • Module Scripts: Commonly used for naming module scripts to differentiate them from other objects.
    • Example: DataManager, AudioManager.
  • Services: Used for naming services, especially when referencing Roblox services.
    • Example: DataStoreService, Players, ReplicatedStorage.

Example:

local DataStoreService = game:GetService("DataStoreService")

local DataManager = {}
function DataManager:SaveData(player)
    -- logic for save data
end

return DataManager

3. snake_case

In snake_case, words are separated by underscores, and all letters are in lowercase. It looks like this: my_variable_name.

When to use snake_case:

  • Configuration Variables: Sometimes used for configuration settings or constants.
    • Example: max_player_count, default_starting_position.
  • File Names: Helpful in naming script files to ensure clarity, especially in larger projects.
    • Example: player_data_handler.lua, inventory_manager.lua.

Example:

local max_player_count = 16
local default_starting_position = Vector3.new(0, 10, 0)

4. UPPER_SNAKE_CASE

This is a variant of snake_case where all letters are uppercase. It looks like this: MAX_PLAYER_COUNT.

When to use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE:

  • Constants: Perfect for defining constants in modules that are not meant to change.
    • Example: MAX_HEALTH, DEFAULT_GRAVITY.

Example:

local MAX_HEALTH = 100
local DEFAULT_GRAVITY = Vector3.new(0, -196.2, 0)

5. kebab-case

Kebab-case is similar to snake_case but uses hyphens instead of underscores. It looks like this: my-variable-name.

When to use kebab-case:

  • File Names: Commonly used in file names, most commonly in web development, but less common in Luau. Some developers use this for script names for clarity.
    • Example: player-data-handler, inventory-manager.

Example:

  • File name: leaderboard-service.lua

Best Practices

  1. Consistency: Regardless of the case you choose, ensure consistency throughout your project. If your team decides on CamelCase for variables, stick with it.
  2. Code Standards: Not all people will use these cases properly, if you are coding a script after it has already been made and the cases used are inproper / incorrect, make sure to go with the flow and try not to change too much.
  3. Readability: Prioritize readability. Naming stuff properly should help clarify what a variable or function does, not obscure it.

By understanding and applying these different case styles appropriately, you’ll make your code more readable and maintainable. I hope this guide helps you in your Luau scripting!

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#2

btw, not all people use these cases, so if you know somebody who doesnt, maybe you can send this to them

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