Naming Conventions
When creating a model using the Designer, you will declare objects by giving them a name and a description. The name is necessary in order to uniquely identify the object within a given workspace and for a specific version; the description however is useable for your convenience at design-time but especially at run-time.
The Designer by default limits the name of an object to 64 bytes. As you will use the name in CPEs, it is important to adopt a naming convention, which will allow you to know, based only on its name, what the type of object is and what it’s used for.
Example
When creating a domain BRC for form property “fpEngine”, you can give it as a name “brcListEngines”.
Moreover, even though the name given to an object is meaningful, it could be hard to read. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt a particular syntax.
Example
Instead of calling the BRC brclistengines, you can call it brcListEngines or brc_list_engines.
We propose to use the following naming conventions:
| OBJECT | CONVENTION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| General convention | The following general conventions can be used: Use a prefix Capitalize every subsequent word Only use nouns or verbs If used, use abbreviations consistently | cpMyConfigurableProduct |
| Configuration Process | Prefix with “cp” | cpCar |
| Form | Prefix with “fo” | foInterior |
| Form Property | Prefix with “fp” | fpColor |
| OBJECT | CONVENTION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| General convention: Prefix with “brc” Avoid using prefixes for the BRC type (macro, formula) because during the modeling types can change | ||
| Specific conventions follow the BRC nature: | brcDomColors: domain for the form property “color” | |
| Business Rules & Constraints | “List”: domain BRC “Cst”: filtering BRC “Gp”: generative processes BRC Lastly, include the object or attribute pointed by the BRC: “Arm”: access rights BRC “Ex”: existence BRC “Vis”: visibility BRC “Req”: mandatory BRC “Upd”: updateble BRC “Cal”: computed BRC “Lo”: looped BRC “Mat”: matching BRC “Cod”: codifying BRC “Pto”: total price BRC “Pin”: intermediate price BRC | brcCstCar: constraint on the form “car” brcLoWindow: to determine the minimum or maximum number of loops for the Configuration Process “window” brcUpDiscount: to determine if the form property “discount” is updateable brcMatSblKitSpareParts: matching brc on the sales breakdown line “spare parts” |
| BRC Alias | Prefix with “a” Add the attribute type you want to generate Add the name of the object | aFpColor aExFpColor aUpdFoCar |
| Sales Breakdown Line | Prefix with “sbl” | sblKitSpareParts |
| OBJECT | CONVENTION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Item | Prefix with “si” In general however, standard items will already have a coding scheme (naming convention) or will be imported automatically from an external (ERP, CRM, PLM) system | si001 |
| Sales Product | Prefix with “sp” | |
| Business Value | Do not use prefixes. Business values have to represent their exact meaning. | YES NO RAL012345 THUNDERBLACK AFRICA EUROPE |
| Business Property Set | Prefix with “bps” | bpsSalesInformation |
| Business Property | Prefix with “bp” | bpDistributionChannel |
| Collection | Prefix with “col” | colShoes |
| Label | Do not use prefixes. Labels have to represent their exact meaning. | winter |
| Version | Prefix with “v” Prefix with major version number or indicator Prefix with minor version number or indicator Use “dot” separator between major and minor version number | v1.1 v2007_SP1 v2008_3 v3.11 |
| OBJECT | CONVENTION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | Prefix with: “sm” for sales methods “pm” for pricing methods “ust” for user types “lnt” for link types | smEuropeanSales pmCustomerPriceList ustFeaturedItem lntIncompatibility |
Last but not least, it is recommended to document your own naming conventions. This is necessary for newcomers in the project team, but also for custom conventions like business-specific abbreviations, etc.