Golang-skills go-naming

Use when naming any Go identifier — packages, types, functions, methods, variables, constants, or receivers — to ensure idiomatic, clear names. Also use when a user is creating new types, packages, or exported APIs, even if they don't explicitly ask about naming conventions. Does not cover package organization (see go-packages).

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/cxuu/golang-skills

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/cxuu/golang-skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/go-naming" ~/.claude/skills/cxuu-golang-skills-go-naming && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/go-naming/SKILL.md

source content

Go Naming Conventions

Available Scripts

scripts/check-naming.sh
— Scans Go code for naming anti-patterns: SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE constants, Get-prefixed getters, bad package names (util/helper/common), and receivers named "this"/"self". Run
```
bash scripts/check-naming.sh --help
```
for options.

Core Principle

Names should:

Not feel repetitive when used
Take context into consideration
Not repeat concepts that are already clear

Naming is more art than science—Go names tend to be shorter than in other languages.

Naming Decision Flow

What are you naming?
├─ Package       → Short, lowercase, singular noun (no underscores, no mixedCaps)
├─ Interface     → Method name + "-er" suffix when single-method (Reader, Writer)
├─ Receiver      → 1-2 letter abbreviation of type (c for Client); consistent across methods
├─ Constant      → MixedCaps; use iota for enums; no ALL_CAPS
├─ Exported func → Verb or verb-phrase in MixedCaps; no Get prefix for getters
├─ Variable      → Length proportional to scope distance
│                  ├─ Tiny scope (1-7 lines) → single letter (i, n, r)
│                  ├─ Medium scope           → short word (count, buf)
│                  └─ Package-level / wide   → descriptive (userAccountCount)
└─ Any name      → Check: does it repeat package name or context? If yes, shorten it

MixedCaps (Required)

Normative: All Go identifiers must use MixedCaps.

Underscores are allowed only in: test functions (

TestFoo_InvalidInput

), generated code, and OS/cgo interop.

Package Names

Normative: Packages must be lowercase with no underscores.

Short, lowercase, singular nouns. Avoid generic names like

util

common

helper

— prefer specific names:

stringutil

httpauth

configloader

// Good: user, oauth2, tabwriter
// Bad:  user_service, UserService, count (shadows var)

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when naming packages, deciding on import aliases, or choosing between generic and specific package names.

Interface Names

Advisory: One-method interfaces use "-er" suffix.

Name one-method interfaces by the method plus

-er

Reader

Writer

Formatter

. Honor canonical method names (

Read

Write

Close

String

) and their signatures.

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when defining new interfaces or implementing well-known method signatures.

Receiver Names

Normative: Receivers must be short abbreviations, used consistently.

One or two letters abbreviating the type, consistent across all methods:

func (c *Client) Connect()

func (c *Client) Send()

. Never use

this

self

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when choosing receiver names or ensuring consistency across methods.

Constant Names

Normative: Constants use MixedCaps, never ALL_CAPS or K prefix.

Name constants by role, not value:

MaxRetries

not

Three

DefaultPort

not

Port8080

const MaxPacketSize = 512
const defaultTimeout = 30 * time.Second

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when naming constants or choosing between role-based and value-based names.

Initialisms and Acronyms

Normative: Initialisms maintain consistent case throughout.

Initialisms (URL, ID, HTTP, API) must be all uppercase or all lowercase:

HTTPClient

userID

ParseURL()

— not

HttpClient

orderId

ParseUrl()

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when using initialisms in compound names or for the full case table.

Function and Method Names

Advisory: No
Get
prefix for simple accessors; use verb-like names for actions.

Getter for field

owner

Owner()

, not

GetOwner()

. Setter is

SetOwner()

. Use

Compute

Fetch

for expensive operations.

When functions differ only by type, include type at the end:

ParseInt()

ParseInt64()

Read references/IDENTIFIERS.md when designing getter/setter APIs or naming function variants.

Variable Names

Variable naming balances brevity with clarity. Key principles:

Scope-based length: Short names (
```
i
```
,
```
v
```
) for small scopes; longer, descriptive names for larger scopes
Single-letter conventions: Use familiar patterns (
```
i
```
for index,
```
r
```
/
```
w
```
for reader/writer)
Avoid type in name: Use
```
users
```
not
```
userSlice
```
,
```
name
```
not
```
nameString
```
Prefix unexported globals: Use
```
_
```
prefix for package-level unexported vars/consts to prevent shadowing

for i, v := range items { ... }           // small scope
pendingOrders := filterPending(orders)    // larger scope
const _defaultPort = 8080                 // unexported global

Read references/VARIABLES.md when naming local variables in functions over 15 lines.

Avoiding Repetition

Go names should not feel repetitive when used. Consider the full context:

Package + symbol:
```
widget.New()
```
not
```
widget.NewWidget()
```
Receiver + method:
```
p.Name()
```
not
```
p.ProjectName()
```
Context + type: In package
```
sqldb
```
, use
```
Connection
```
not
```
DBConnection
```

Read references/REPETITION.md when a package name and its exported symbols feel redundant.

Avoid Built-In Names

Never shadow Go's predeclared identifiers (

error

string

len

cap

append

copy

new

make

, etc.) as variable, parameter, or type names.

For detailed guidance: See

go-declarations

— "Avoid Using Built-In Names" section.

Quick Reference

Element	Rule	Example
Package	lowercase, no underscores	`package httputil`
Exported	MixedCaps, starts uppercase	`func ParseURL()`
Unexported	mixedCaps, starts lowercase	`func parseURL()`
Receiver	1-2 letter abbreviation	`func (c *Client)`
Constant	MixedCaps, never ALL_CAPS	`const MaxSize = 100`
Initialism	consistent case	`userID` , `XMLAPI`
Variable	length ~ scope size	`i` (small), `userCount` (large)
Built-in names	Never shadow predeclared identifiers	See `go-declarations`

Validation: After renaming identifiers, run
bash scripts/check-naming.sh
to verify no naming anti-patterns remain. Then run
go build ./...
to confirm the rename didn't break anything.

Related Skills

Interface naming: See go-interfaces when naming interfaces with the
```
-er
```
suffix or choosing receiver types
Package naming: See go-packages when naming packages, avoiding
```
util
```
/
```
common
```
, or resolving import collisions
Error naming: See go-error-handling when naming sentinel errors (
```
ErrFoo
```
) or custom error types
Declaration scope: See go-declarations when variable name length depends on scope or when avoiding built-in shadowing
Style principles: See go-style-core when balancing clarity vs concision in identifier names