Camel Case vs Pascal Case vs Kebab Case vs Snake Case 🤔

When writing code, naming conventions play a crucial role in readability, maintainability, and consistency. Among the most widely used naming styles are Camel Case, Pascal Case, Kebab Case, and Snake Case.

In this post, we’ll break down each naming convention, show examples, and explain where and when to use them effectively across different languages and contexts.

🐪 1. Camel Case (camelCase)

Camel Case starts with a lowercase letter, and each subsequent word begins with an uppercase letter.

let firstName = "Mahipal";
let totalAmount = 100;

🧠 Why it’s called Camel Case?

Because the capital letters resemble humps on a camel 🐪.

✅ Where to Use

Camel Case is commonly used for:

• Variables
• Function names
• Object keys

🌍 Common Languages

• JavaScript
• Java
• TypeScript
• C#
• Swift

✔ Best Practices

Use camelCase when:

• Writing variables and functions
• Following JavaScript conventions (very important in frontend)

🅿️ 2. Pascal Case (PascalCase)

Pascal Case is similar to Camel Case, except the first letter is also capitalized.

class UserProfile {}
public string FirstName { get; set; }
``

Where to Use

Pascal Case is mostly used for:

• Class names
• Constructors
• Interfaces
• Types

Common Languages

• C#
• Java
• TypeScript
• Python (for classes)
• C++

Best Practices

Use PascalCase when:

• Naming classes, types, or components
• Following OOP conventions

🐍 3. Snake Case (snake_case)

Snake Case separates words using underscores (_) and uses lowercase letters.

first_name = "Mahipal"
total_amount = 100

Why “Snake”?

The underscores resemble a snake slithering along 🐍.

Where to Use

Snake Case is commonly used for:

• Variables
• Functions
• File names

Common Languages

• Python (standard convention)
• Ruby
• PHP (sometimes)

Best Practices

Use snake_case when:

• Working in Python projects
• Writing scripts or backend services

🌮 4. Kebab Case (kebab-case)

Kebab Case uses hyphens (-) to separate words and all letters are lowercase.

<div class="user-profile"></div>
``

Why “Kebab”?

Because the words are “skewered” with hyphens like kebabs 🍢.

Where to Use

Kebab Case is used for:

• File names
• URLs
• CSS class names

Common Technologies

• HTML / CSS
• Angular (file naming)
• URLs (SEO-friendly paths)

Important Note

Kebab-case cannot be used in most programming languages for variables because - is treated as a minus operator.

Best Practices

Use kebab-case when:

• Creating URLs or file names
• Writing CSS classes

🏁 Final Thoughts

Choosing the right naming convention isn’t just about style — it improves:

• ✅ Readability
• ✅ Code consistency
• ✅ Team collaboration

👉 Golden Rule: Follow the conventions of the language and framework you are using.