Editing Camel case (section)

{{short description|Writing words with internal uppercase letters}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}

[[File:CamelCase new.svg|alt=|thumb|Camel case is named after the hump of its protruding capital letter, similar to the hump of common [[camel]]s.]]

The writing format '''camel case''' (sometimes stylized [[autological|autologically]] as '''camelCase''' or '''CamelCase''', also known as '''camel caps''' or more formally as '''medial capitals''') is the practice of writing phrases without spaces or punctuation and with [[capitalization|capitalized]] words. The format indicates the first word starting with either case, then the following words having an initial uppercase letter. Common examples include ''YouTube'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fogarty |first1=Mignon |title=The Grammar Devotional: Daily Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl |date=27 October 2009 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4299-6440-1 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDUMufuiqjAC&dq=PayPal&pg=PA14 |language=en}}</ref> ''PowerPoint'', ''HarperCollins'', ''FedEx'', ''iPhone'', ''eBay'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Adam |title=Understanding and Teaching English Spelling: A Strategic Guide |date=21 September 2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-62186-1 |pages=173–174 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lEBvDwAAQBAJ&dq=HarperCollins%20%22camel%20case%22&pg=PT173 |language=en}}</ref> and ''LaGuardia''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dreyer |first1=Benjamin |title=Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style |date=4 August 2020 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-8129-8571-9 |page=228 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0FbXDwAAQBAJ&dq=iphone%20%22camel%20case%22&pg=PA228 |language=en}}</ref> Camel case is often used as a [[Naming convention (programming)|naming convention]] in computer programming. It is also sometimes used in online usernames such as ''JohnSmith'', and to make multi-word [[domain names]] more legible, for example in promoting ''EasyWidgetCompany.com''.

The more specific terms '''Pascal case''' and '''upper camel case''' refer to a joined phrase where the first letter of each word is capitalized, including the initial letter of the first word. Similarly, '''lower camel case''' (also known as '''[[dromedary]] case''') requires an initial lowercase letter. Some people and organizations, notably [[Microsoft]], use the term ''camel case'' only for lower camel case, designating Pascal case for the upper camel case.<ref name=nfrmwk /> Some programming styles prefer camel case with the first letter capitalized, others not.<ref>{{cite web |title=Naming Conventions |url=http://docs.scala-lang.org/style/naming-conventions.html |publisher=Scala |access-date=5 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=nfrmwk>{{cite web |title=Capitalization Styles - .NET Framework 1.1| date=17 November 2006 |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/x2dbyw72(v=vs.71).aspx |access-date=5 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Camel Case |url=http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?CamelCase |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref> For clarity, this article leaves the definition of camel case ambiguous with respect to capitalization, and uses the more specific terms when necessary.

Camel case is distinct from several other styles: ''[[title case]]'', which capitalizes all words but retains the spaces between them; ''[[Tall Man lettering]]'', which uses capitals to emphasize the differences between similar-looking product names such as ''[[prednisone|predniSONE]]'' and ''[[prednisolone|predniSOLONE]]''; and ''[[snake case]]'', which uses [[underscore]]s interspersed with lowercase letters (sometimes with the first letter capitalized). A combination of snake and camel case (identifiers ''Written_Like_This'') is recommended in the [[Ada 95]] style guide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ada 95 Quality and Style Guide |url=https://www.adaic.org/resources/add_content/docs/95style/html/sec_3/3-1-3.html |date=October 1995 |access-date=25 January 2020 |at=Section 3.1.3}}</ref>