Java Identifier Explained
In this article, we will see examples of the identifier in the java programming language, which is a very important aspect of Programming.
1. Introduction
In C, C++, C#, Java, and other programming languages, an identifier is a name that is assigned by the user for a program element such as variable type, template, class, function, or namespace. It is usually limited to letters, digits, and underscores.
Certain words, such as “new,” “int” and “break,” are reserved keywords and cannot be used as identifiers. Identifiers are used to identify a program element in the code.
2. What is a Java Identifier?
In programming languages, identifiers are used for identification purpose.
In Java, an identifier can be a class name, method name, variable name, or a label. It allows a programmer to refer to the item from other places in the program.
To make the most out of the identifiers you choose, make them meaningful, and follow the standard Java naming conventions.
3. Java Identifier Examples
Identifiers must be composed of letters, numbers, the underscore and the dollar sign. Identifiers may only begin with a letter, the underscore or a dollar sign.
int score;
You cannot use keywords as variable names. It’s because keywords have predefined meanings, For example
int float;
Here, score is a variable (an identifier). It’s because float is a keyword and cannot be used as a variable name.
public class Test { public static void main(String[] args) { int a = 20; } }
In the above java code, we have 5 identifiers namely:
- Test : class name.
- main : method name.
- String : predefined class name.
- args : variable name.
- a : variable name.
4. Java Identifiers Rules/Conventions
In Java, there are several points to remember about identifiers. They are as follows:
- Identifiers cannot be a keyword.
- Identifiers are case-sensitive.
- It can have a sequence of letters and digits. However, it must begin with a letter, $ or _ .
- The first letter of an identifier cannot be a digit.
- It’s a convention to start an identifier with a letter rather and $ or _.
- White-spaces are not allowed.
- Similarly, you cannot use symbols such as @, #, and so on.
Some valid identifiers:
- score
- level
- highestScore
- number1
- convertToString
Some invalid identifiers:
- float
- 1number
- highest Score
- @pple
5. Java Identifier – Summary
Identifiers in Java is a very important aspect of Programming. They are mainly used for Identification Purposes. Identifiers are a necessity as they make the program readable and efficient.
This article is contributed to enhancing your understanding of the Identifiers’ rules/conventions providing examples of valid identifiers.