design-patterns-snob-naming

name	design_patterns-snob_naming
description	Use when naming packages, directories, type strings, skills, or any identifiers that need structured multi-part names. Also applies when reviewing names for convention compliance or encountering naming inconsistencies involving hyphens and underscores.
triggers	["naming convention","snob naming","package name","directory name","type string name","skill name","hyphen vs underscore"]

Snob Naming

Overview

Snob naming (snake + kebab) is the naming convention used across dodder and related projects. Hyphens separate distinct semantic parts. Underscores join words within a single semantic part. This creates a two-level hierarchy where splitting on - yields major components and splitting on _ yields the words composing each component.

The Rule

<compound_noun>-<compound_noun>-<compound_noun>
       │                │               │
  words_joined     words_joined    words_joined
  by_underscores   by_underscores  by_underscores

• Hyphens (-) separate distinct semantic parts
• Underscores (_) join words within a single semantic part

Examples

Package Names

Name	Parts
blob_store_configs	single part: "blob store configs"
hyphence	single part: "triple hyphen io"
type_blobs	single part: "type blobs"
inventory_list_coders	single part: "inventory list coders"

Type Strings

Name	Part Breakdown
!toml-blob_store_config-v0	toml | blob_store_config | v0
!toml-blob_store_config_sftp-ssh_config-v0	toml | blob_store_config_sftp | ssh_config | v0
!toml-repo-dotenv_xdg-v0	toml | repo | dotenv_xdg | v0
!toml-workspace_config-v0	toml | workspace_config | v0
!inventory_list-v1	inventory_list | v1
!zettel_id_list-v0	zettel_id_list | v0

Skill Names (in skills/ directory — plural category)

Name	Part Breakdown
design_patterns-horizontal_versioning	design_patterns | horizontal_versioning
design_patterns-pool_repool	design_patterns | pool_repool
design_patterns-typed_error_sentinels	design_patterns | typed_error_sentinels

Pluralization

Plurals are contextual — they reflect the relationship between the name and its container.

Inside a plural container, use plural. Skills live in skills/, so the category part is plural to match: design_patterns-pool_repool. Packages in Go are often plural when they hold collections of things: blob_store_configs, type_blobs, inventory_list_coders.

At the top level or in type strings, prefer singular. Type string identifiers name a single thing: !toml-blob_store_config-v0 (not blob_store_configs). Standalone identifiers default to singular unless the name inherently refers to a collection.

Context	Example	Why
Type string	!toml-blob_store_config-v0	Names one config schema — singular
Package name	blob_store_configs	Contains multiple config versions — plural
Skill in skills/	design_patterns-pool_repool	Lives inside skills/ — plural category
Standalone identifier	design_pattern	Refers to the concept itself — singular

How to Apply

When naming something with multiple semantic parts:

1. Identify the distinct concepts. Each concept becomes a hyphen-separated part. In toml-blob_store_config-v0: the format (toml), the thing being configured (blob_store_config), and the version (v0) are three distinct concepts.

2. Join multi-word concepts with underscores. "blob store config" is a single concept composed of three words, so it becomes blob_store_config.

3. Separate concepts with hyphens. The format, the thing, and the version are different concepts, so they get hyphens between them.

4. Choose singular or plural based on context. Inside a plural container (like skills/), use plural for the category part. For type strings and standalone identifiers, prefer singular.

Common Patterns in Type Strings

Type strings follow a consistent structure:

!<format>-<thing>-<variant>-<version>

Segment	Examples
format	toml, lua, json
thing	config, blob_store_config, tag, type
variant (optional)	pointer, inventory_archive, ssh_config
version	v0, v1, v2

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Correct
blob-store-configs (all kebab)	blob_store_configs (single compound noun)
hyphence-toml_v0 (wrong split)	Depends on semantics — split on concept boundaries
design_pattern-tripleHyphenIo (camelCase)	design_patterns-hyphence
designPattern-tripleHyphenIo (camelCase both)	design_patterns-hyphence
design-pattern-triple-hyphen-io (all kebab)	design_patterns-hyphence
design_pattern-pool_repool in skills/ (singular in plural container)	design_patterns-pool_repool