Pascal Case vs. Camel Case Explained

Casing refers to the style in which words are combined and separated within identifiers. Identifiers are names given to variables, functions, classes or any other element in a program. There are four commonly used casings:

1. camelCase
2. PascalCase
3. snake_case
4. kebab-case 

Each casing style has its own set of rules and conventions, and understanding the differences between them is essential for writing clean and readable code. Understanding the differences between each casing style is critical to writing better code. Let’s dive into each case and explore their characteristics and preferred usage in different programming languages.

What Is Camel Case?

Camel case is a casing style where words are joined together without any spaces, and each new word starts with a capital letter except for the first word. The name "camelCase" comes from the hump-like appearance of the capital letters. Camel case is commonly used in JavaScript, Java and C# for variable and function names.

Example:

let firstName = "John";
let lastName = "Doe";

function printFullName(firstName, lastName) {
    let fullName = firstName + " " + lastName;
    console.log(fullName);
}

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What Is Pascal Case?

Pascal case is similar to camel case, but unlike camel case, the first letter of each word is capitalized, such as: "PascalCase". Pascal case is commonly used in naming classes, interfaces and other types in languages like C#, Java and TypeScript.

Example:

class Person {
    firstName: string;
    lastName: string;

    constructor(firstName: string, lastName: string) {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    printFullName(): void {
        let fullName = this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
        console.log(fullName);
    }
}

What Is Snake Case?

Snake case is a casing style where words are separated by underscores (_). It’s called "snake_case" because the underscores resemble the belly scales of a snake. Snake case is typically used in languages like Python, Ruby and JavaScript for variable and function names.

Example:

first_name = "John"
last_name = "Doe"

def print_full_name(first_name, last_name):
    full_name = first_name + " " + last_name
    print(full_name)

What Is Kebab Case?

Kebab case is a casing style where words are separated by hyphens (-), as in: "kebab-case". Kebab case is commonly used in URLs, file names and HTML/CSS class names.

Example:

<div class="user-profile">
    <p>This is a user profile.</p>
</div>

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When to Use Pascal Case vs. Camel Case and Others

1. camelCase: Go, JavaScript, Java and C# for variable and function names.
2. PascalCase: Go, C#, Java and TypeScript for class and type names.
3. snake_case: Python, Ruby and JavaScript  for variable and function names.
4. kebab-case: HTML and CSS for class names, file names and URLs.

It’s important to note that these are general conventions, and different programming communities and organizations may have their own preferred casings. The key is to be consistent within your codebase and follow the style guide of the programming language or framework you are using. Consistent and clear naming conventions contribute to the readability and maintainability of code, making it easier for yourself and others to understand and work with.

The choice of casing style depends on the programming language and the specific context of its usage. Snake case, camel case, pascal case and kebab case each have their own rules and purposes. By understanding their differences and adhering to the conventions of your chosen language, you can write code that is more readable and maintainable.

Frequently Asked Questions

class Person {
    firstName: string;
    lastName: string;

    constructor(firstName: string, lastName: string) {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    printFullName(): void {
        let fullName = this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
        console.log(fullName);
    }
}

let firstName = "John";
let lastName = "Doe";

function printFullName(firstName, lastName) {
    let fullName = firstName + " " + lastName;
    console.log(fullName);
}