Purpose-indicating descriptive names

Choose names for variables, methods, parameters, and fixtures that clearly communicate their purpose, content, and behavior. Names should be self-documenting and consider future code evolution.

For method names:

• Use action verbs that precisely describe the method’s effect
• Prefer established patterns like enable_xxx()/disable_xxx() over ambiguous patterns like with_xxx()/without_xxx()

# Less clear:
def with_padding(self, direction="right", ...):
    # ...

# More clear:
def enable_padding(self, direction="right", ...):
    # ...

For variables and parameters:

• Choose names that describe what the value represents rather than its implementation details
• Consider how names will work with future extensions

# Less descriptive - unclear what these files contain:
@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
def precompiled_files(data_dir):
    # ...

# More descriptive - clearly indicates purpose and content:
@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
def serialized_files(data_dir):
    # ...

Maintain consistency in parameter naming across similar implementations to establish predictable patterns for API users.