"m_" prefix in classes

[Internet User]

I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

Thanks in advance.

[Spam Catcher]

"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comwrote in news:#ZffhMYmHHA.4960
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

m_ means member variable ... a class level variable.

just _ i.e. Dim _MyVariable as String is used for local variables.

But it's personal preference. Microsoft had a naming guide online, but from
what I recall it wasn't all that indepth.

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comschrieb:

>I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

'm_' is typically used to mark private variables in order to make their
scope more visible and to prevent name clashes with the class' public
properties. Imagine a class having a 'UserName' property. The property's
value could be stored in a private "backing field" named 'm_UserName', for
example.

To me the 'm' stands for "module-level" (module = module, structure, class)
opposed to 'g' which stands for "global" (and which I am using almost
never).

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/faqs/>

[Internet User]

Thanks. Exactly what I needed.

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi***************@gmx.atwrote in message
news:ew**************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comschrieb:

>>I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

'm_' is typically used to mark private variables in order to make their
scope more visible and to prevent name clashes with the class' public
properties. Imagine a class having a 'UserName' property. The property's
value could be stored in a private "backing field" named 'm_UserName', for
example.

To me the 'm' stands for "module-level" (module = module, structure,
class) opposed to 'g' which stands for "global" (and which I am using
almost never).

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/faqs/>

[Internet User]

Thanks.

"Spam Catcher" <sp**********@rogers.comwrote in message
news:Xn**********************************@127.0.0. 1...

"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comwrote in news:#ZffhMYmHHA.4960
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

>I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

m_ means member variable ... a class level variable.

just _ i.e. Dim _MyVariable as String is used for local variables.

But it's personal preference. Microsoft had a naming guide online, but
from
what I recall it wasn't all that indepth.

[Earl]

It's an old VB coding convention meaning module. The scope is class-wide,
i.e., a Private variable.

"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comwrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

Thanks in advance.

[Smitty]

Spam catcher had it right... At least according to what I read....
"Internet User" <no*****@noemail.comwrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>I see m_ prefixed in front of variable names all the time in code for
classes. Is this a coding convention and if so how does one describe the
type of variables it is used with?

Thanks in advance.

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

"Earl" <br******@newsgroups.nospamschrieb:

It's an old VB coding convention meaning module. The scope is class-wide,
i.e., a Private variable.

IIRC the convention has been "borrowed" from C++, but it's hard to determine
the exact roots of it.

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[Earl]

Eh, I would've mentioned that, but actually I think Al Gore invented it.

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi***************@gmx.atwrote in message
news:eX**************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

"Earl" <br******@newsgroups.nospamschrieb:

>It's an old VB coding convention meaning module. The scope is class-wide,
i.e., a Private variable.

IIRC the convention has been "borrowed" from C++, but it's hard to
determine the exact roots of it.

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>