Identifierare

Identifierare is a term used in programming to denote an identifier, a symbolic name used to identify a program element such as a variable, function, type, or label. An identifier serves as a handle that allows code and tools to refer to the corresponding item throughout the source and in related artifacts such as debugging information and error messages.

Most languages impose lexical rules on what constitutes an identifier. In many languages an identifier must begin with a letter or underscore, followed by letters, digits, or underscores. Some languages allow dollar signs or non-ASCII letters via Unicode. Identifiers cannot be reserved keywords of the language, and many languages treat identifiers as case-sensitive, so Index and index denote different identifiers.

Naming conventions vary by language and project. Common styles include camelCase (for example, myVariable) in JavaScript and Java, snake_case (for example, total_sum) in Python, and PascalCase (for example, CustomerOrder) for types in some ecosystems. Guidelines emphasize descriptive, unambiguous names and avoidance of conflicts with built-in or library identifiers. They also consider scope, namespace organization, and consistency across a codebase.

In compilers and interpreters, identifiers are tracked in symbol tables and subjected to semantic checks such as scope resolution, type compatibility, and visibility. Errors arise when an identifier is used before declaration or when two entities in an invalid scope share the same name. Tools may also generate, transform, or obfuscate identifiers as part of compilation, optimization, or build processes.