Identifier naming and initialisms

Canonical guidance

• prefer clear names that read well at use sites
• keep common initialisms consistent in MixedCaps identifiers
• do not prefix ordinary getters with Get
• use short receiver names derived from the type

Use when

• naming exported identifiers
• reviewing method names and receivers
• cleaning up acronym-heavy APIs

Avoid

• inconsistent acronym casing like HttpServer next to URL
• GetName style getters without a special reason
• long or generic receiver names

Preferred pattern

type HTTPClient struct{}

func (c *HTTPClient) URL() string { return "" }

Anti-pattern

• renaming identifiers for local taste when the result is less familiar to ordinary Go readers

Explanation: This is tempting because naming feels personal, but the reader’s recognition speed matters more than the author’s preference.

Why

• naming is one of the highest-frequency review surfaces in Go, and Google guidance adds useful precision around initialisms and getters