Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

re: Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

Francois Ward — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:53:10 GMT

By the way, while only have the first version of Framework Design Guidelines, this topic reminds me of something in them that is somewhat related...

The use of the "2" suffix when you have a term that cannot really change, and need to evolve it anyway... let say "DateTime2".

Its rarely used, rarely needed, but as the various platforms evolve, its starting to pop every so often, and I'm wondering if thats really for the best... it is honestly seriously confusing, and I'm wondering if there isn't anything better we could think of...

Its a bit of a stretch on the topic of this post, I know, but I still think its relevent :)

re: Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

Alexey Raga — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:44:45 GMT

Hmm.. I don't like any suffixes like "64" or "2".

Imagin, you create "64"suffixed API functions (and new API without any suffixes, as you said).

So in 2-3-5 years you are going have only 64 bit platform and all the "64"suffixed functions. "64" is meaningless in this situation, it is just a trash in the methods names. Especially if you created "new" API without any suffixed. Mix is always bad ;)

So what the solution?

If we are talking about reusable frameworks, we can create factories/adapters/interfaces for 32 and 64 bit systems.

Want to use 64bit? Use 64bit API interfaces, don't worry about 32bit, you will not even see 32bit methods.

Why on earth I need to see PeakWorkingSet on 64bit or PeakWorkingSet64 on 32bit? If not all the functions are suffixed, when I see PeakWorkingSet, how can I know if it is a "new" 64bit API, or an "old" 32bit?

So my point is to make specific APIs for the specific environments, even if they reuse the same code internally, as a developer who used this API, I don't care :)

re: Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

irene — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:23:10 GMT

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re: Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

zeenat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:47:39 GMT

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re: Framework Design Guidelines: Naming New Versions of Existing APIs

YoMan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:53:04 GMT

But what about Array.GetLongLength() ... ?