Part II: Conventions

Other Object Prefixes

Prefixes aren't just for variables. All standard objects (including forms and controls) have a three-character prefix, as described in Tables 3-3, 3-4, and 3-5. Learn and use these prefixes consistently if you're not already. Correctly applying the standard three-character prefixes to all your variables and objects makes your code more self-documenting and easier to maintain.

 

Table 3-3. Prefixes for Standard Controls 

Control

Prefix

Example

Check box

chk

chkPrint

Checked list box

chklst

chklstLunchItems

Combo box

cbo

cboTitle

Context menu

ctx

ctxContactsMenu

Control (generic)

ctl

ctlCurrentControl

Data grid

grd

grdOpenTasks

Domain up down

dom

domPrimaryDomain

Button

btn or cmd

btnOK; also acceptable is cmdOK

Form

frm

frmMain

Group box

grp

grpDisplayOptions

Help provider

hlp

hlpPrimaryHelp

Horizontal scroll bar

hsb

hsbWidth

Image list

img

imgFolderIcons

Label

lbl

lblHelpMessage

Link label

lnk

lnkHomePage

List box

lst

lstResultCodes

List view

lvw

lvwActiveUsers

MDI child form

mdi

mdiContact

Menu item

mnu

mnuFileOpen

Notify icon

nfi

nfiTrayIcon

Numeric up down

num

numAge

Open file dialog

opn

opnSelectFile

Panel

pnl

pnlSettings

Progress bar

prg

prgProgress

Radio button

opt (for option)

optSpanish

Picture box

pic

picDiskSpace

Rich text box

rtf

rtfLayout

Save file dialog

sav

savSavePicture

Status bar

sbr

sbrStatus

Tab

tab

tabColorOptions

Text box

txt

txtAddress

Timer

tmr

tmrAlarm

ToolTip

tip

tipQuickTip

Toolbar

tbr

tbrMain

Track bar

trk

trkColorDepth

Tree view

tre

treFolders

Splitter

spl

splMainSplitter

Vertical scroll bar

vsb

vsbHeight

 

Note

In previous versions of Visual Basic, buttons were called command buttons, and therefore used the prefix cmd. This prefix is so common that it's fully acceptable to use this prefix in Visual Basic .NET. However, using btn is preferred. In addition, what are now called radio buttons used to be called option buttons. (Actually, they were radio buttons, then option buttons, and now radio buttons again.) Use opt for these controls.


 

 

Table 3-4. Prefixes for Visual Basic Project Items 

Object

Prefix

Example

Class

cls

clsEmployee

Form

frm

frmLogin

Module

mdl

mdlUtilities

User control

ctl

ctlGhanttChart

 

 

Table 3-5. Prefixes for ADO.NET Objects 

Object

Prefix

Example

Connection

cnn

cnnContacts

Command

cmd

cmdUpdateContacts

DataSet

dst

dstCompanies

DataView

dvw

dvwCustomers

DataAdapter

adp

adpPrimary

DataReader

drd

drdResults

DataTable

dtb

dtbNotes

DataColumn

dcl

dclLastName

DataRow

drw

drwCurrentUser

DataRowView

drv

drvCurrentUser

DataRelation

drl

drlContactsAndEmailAddresses

DataException

dex

dexCurrentException

Transaction

trn

trnSellStock

UniqueConstraint

ucst

ucstConstraint

ForeignKeyConstraint

fcst

fcstConstraint

StoredProcedure

prc

prcComputeSalesTax

Parameter

prm

prmFirstName

 



Practical Standards for Microsoft Visual Basic. NET
Practical Standards for Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (Pro-Developer)
ISBN: 0735613567
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 84

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