Parameter naming: filename or fileName?

Question

I try to be grammatically correct in my naming*. I\'ve always used filename instead of fileName. The java convention also seems to use this, but

Answer 1

As far as I am concerned,

thisIsMuchMoreReadable than readingthis.

Answer 2

'filename' assumes that this word describes a singular object like 'cow' or 'chair'
'fileName' assumes that this is a complex object, that there is an object called file and that this object describes the name of that file.

Two philosophical approaches, take your pick.

Answer 3

I think the answers here are spanning two issues.

• 'FileName' vs 'Filename' (should 'name' be a separate word)

  and

• 'fileName' vs 'FileName' (should first character be lower case).

In most cases, I prefer to treat this word as a single whole word 'filename'. I also prefer starting variables/methods with lower case for easier code completion menu navigation.

I guess the issue of camel case is here too which I think should be used to distinguish multi-word names.