[Haskell-cafe] naming convention for maybes?

[wren ng thornton]

On 4/22/11 1:14 PM, Evan Laforge wrote:
> Here's a simple issue that's been with me for a while.  As do many
> people, I use plural variable names for lists, so if a Block as called
> 'block' then [Block] is 'blocks'.
>
> The other pattern that comes up a lot is 'Maybe Block'.  When I have
> to name it, I call it 'maybe_block', e.g.
>
> maybe_block<- lookup something
> case maybe_block of
>    Just block ->  ...
>
> However, this maybe_ prefix is rather long and unwieldy.  I have
> considered things like 'm' or 'mb' but they don't suggest Maybe to me.
>   An 'm' prefix or suffix is already implying 'monad'.

I tend to use 'm', but you're right that it causes confusion about 
whether mFoo is "monadic foo" or "maybe foo". Perhaps I should start 
using 'mb' instead...

> If '?' were
> allowed in identifiers I could use it as a suffix.

I'd love it if '?' were allowed as an identifier suffix, though the 
lispers will assume it's a predicate rather than a maybe. While we're at 
it, three cheers for allowing '!' as an identifier suffix for indicating 
strictness (because the apostrophe has plenty of other uses).

-- 
Live well,
~wren