Naming conventions

This page describes the rules for naming parts and variables and for assigning values to properties such as file name. For details on how logic parts can reference areas of memory, see References to variables and constants and Arrays.

Three categories of identifier are in EGL:

• EGL part and variables names, as described later.

• External resource names that are specified as property values in part or variable declarations. These names represent special cases, and the naming conventions depend on the conventions of the run-time system.

• EGL package names such as com.mycom.mypack. In this case, each character sequence is separated from the next by a period, and each sequence follows the naming convention for an EGL part name. For details on the relationship of package names and file structure, see EGL projects, packages, and files.

An EGL part or variable name is a series of 1 to 128 characters. Except as noted, a name must begin with a Unicode letter or underscore and can include additional Unicode letters as well as digits and currency symbols. Other restrictions are in effect:

• The first characters cannot be EZE in any combination of uppercase and lowercase

• A name cannot contain embedded blanks or be an EGL reserved word

Special considerations apply to parts:

• In a record part, the name of a logical file or queue can be no more than 8 characters

• In various parts, the alias is incorporated into the names of generated output files and Java classes. If the external name is not specified, the name of the program part is used but is truncated (if necessary) to the maximum number of characters allowed in the run-time environment.

If your code is compatible with VisualAge Generator, the following rules also apply to part and variable names but have no effect on package names:

• Initial character of a name can be an "at" sign (@)

• Subsequent characters can include "at" signs (@), hyphens (-), and pound signs (#)

Related concepts
Compatibility with VisualAge Generator
EGL projects, packages, and files
References to variables and constants

Related reference
Arrays
Changes to EGL identifiers in JSP files and generated Java beans
EGL reserved words
EGL system limits
How names are aliased