Code Smell - Linguistic Confusion

Overcomplicating Naming Leads to Chaos

TL;DR: Naming is hard, don't make it harder with unnecessary accidental complexity.

Problems

• Unclear, misleading, vague, and ambiguous names

• Redundant terminology

• Confusing abstractions

• Cryptic abbreviations

Solutions

1. Simplify naming conventions

2. Ensure consistency

3. Avoid unnecessary jargon

4. Use descriptive names based on behavior

5. Maintain consistent terminology

Context

Ludwig Wittgenstein argued that much confusion arises from language misuse.

This happens when you overcomplicate names, mix metaphors, or use inconsistent terminology.

When you name classes, methods, or variables without clarity, you create a linguistic maze that others struggle to navigate.

This causes bugs, makes maintenance harder, and leads to team frustration.

Sample Code

Wrong

public class AbstractDataHandlerManager {
    private String dtStr;

    public void execProcessingOps(String input) {
        if (dtStr != null && !dtStr.isEmpty()) {
            // process
        }
    }
}

Right

public class SETIProcessor {

    public void processSignal(String input) {      
            // process
        }
    }
}

Detection

[X] Manual

You can detect this smell when names start to get long, or when you see "Abstract", "Manager," "Handler," "Helper", or "Data" too often.

Another sign is when you must explain what a name means to other developers for example in a code review.

Tags

• Naming

Level

[X] Beginner

AI Generation

AI generators often create this smell by producing verbose and generic names that attempt to cover every possible context.

They are experts in many domains and write code, but frequently they don't do both at once unless instructed.

AI Detection

AI generators can sometimes fix this smell with simple refactoring instructions like "simplify names" or "remove redundant terms," but struggle with deeper contextual understanding.

Conclusion

Linguistic confusion in code leads to unnecessary complexity.

Use clear, consistent, and straightforward naming to make your code easier to read and maintain.

Relations

Code Smell 22 - Helpers

Maxi Contieri ・ Nov 12 '20

#oop #helpers #codenewbie #beginners

Code Smell 38 - Abstract Names

Maxi Contieri ・ Nov 30 '20

#oop #codenewbie #naming #webdev

Code Smell 197 - Gratuitous Context

Maxi Contieri ・ Feb 21 '23

#webdev #beginners #programming #tutorial

Code Smell 113 - Data Naming

Maxi Contieri ・ Jan 5 '22

#oop #webdev #database #refactoring

More Info

Wittgenstein's concept of linguistic confusion

What is (wrong with) software

Maxi Contieri ・ Oct 8 '20

#oop #solid #beginners #design

What exactly is a name? — Part I: The Quest

Maxi Contieri ・ Feb 9 '21

#codenewbie #tutorial #webdev #oop

What exactly is a name - Part II Rehab

Maxi Contieri ・ May 23 '21

#tutorial #codenewbie #programming #webdev

Disclaimer

Code Smells are my opinion.

Credits

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

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The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.

George Orwell

Software Engineering Great Quotes

Maxi Contieri ・ Dec 28 '20

#codenewbie #programming #quotes #software

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This article is part of the CodeSmell Series.

How to Find the Stinky parts of your Code

Maxi Contieri ・ May 21 '21

#codenewbie #tutorial #codequality #beginners

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