camelCase vs snake_case: Which Should You Use?
·4 min read
What Is camelCase?
camelCase is a naming convention where the first word is lowercase and each subsequent word starts with an uppercase letter. There are no spaces or separators between words.
Examples: myVariableName, getUserData, totalItemCount
What Is snake_case?
snake_case uses all lowercase letters and separates words with underscores. It is easy to read and widely used in several programming languages.
Examples: my_variable_name, get_user_data, total_item_count
Key Differences
| Feature | camelCase | snake_case |
|---|---|---|
| Word separator | Capital letter | Underscore |
| Case | Mixed | All lowercase |
| Common in | JavaScript, Java, C# | Python, Ruby, SQL |
When to Use camelCase
camelCase is the dominant convention in:
- JavaScript and TypeScript — for variable and function names
- Java and C# — for methods and local variables
- JSON keys — widely adopted in REST APIs
When to Use snake_case
snake_case is preferred in:
- Python — the official PEP 8 style guide recommends snake_case for variables and functions
- Ruby — snake_case is the standard for all identifiers
- SQL — column and table names commonly use snake_case
- Rust — snake_case for variable and function names
Quick Conversion Tool
Need to switch between formats? Use our camelCase converter or snake_case converter to instantly transform your text.