In software languages, we find many terms and abbreviations. When you encounter these abbreviations in a textbook, there is no indication about how to pronounce the term if you were speaking to someone about it.
For example, we may use a prefix of "str" to identify a string variable such as "str_name". Or we may see "str" as an inner word in a compound-word C-library function such as strcpy() or strdup(). Another example would be "char" to represent a character data type. There may be odd terms like "Drupal" and "enum". And what about how to pronounce an expression like *(char *)&byte?
When you bring up a term or abbreviation you want to use the common pronunciation. So we offer this list taken from various sources, including online courses from leading universitites. The terms and symbols below are found in languages such as C, C++, JAVA and PHP:
| LANGUAGE NAMES | ||
| C | "see" | C++ | "see plus plus" |
| C# | "see sharp" | |
| JAVA | "JAH vuh" | [the Indonesian island, or the slang term for coffee] |
| PHP | "pee h pee" | [spell it out] |
| JSP | "jay ess pee" | [spell it out] |
| DATA TYPES | ||
| byte | "bite" | an 8-bit binary data type |
| char | "car" [a hard "ch"] | an 8-bit character data type |
| short | "short" | an 16-bit [2-byte] signed integer data type |
| long | "long" | an 32-bit [4-byte] signed integer data type |
| int | "int" | a signed integer data type, usually 4 bytes |
| sint | "ess int" | a signed integer data type, usually 4 bytes [only in C and C++] |
| uint | "you int" | an unsigned integer data type, usually 4 bytes [only in C and C++] |
| enum | "EE nuhm" [accent first syllable, nuhm like numb] | an enumerated list of values, starting with a token representing a zero value [in C, C++ and JAVA 1.5+] |
| size_t | "size tee" | a data type that indicates size of an object [only in C and C++] |
| IDENTIFIER PREFIXES and SUFFIXES | ||
| str | "stir" [like the verb to stir] | a character string object, or a string character array |
| cpy | "COP ee" | an abbreviation meaning to copy |
| dup | "dupe" [as in a gullible dupe] | an abbreviation meaning to duplicate |
| tok | "toke" [like the slang term referring to smoking] | an abbreviation meaning a token |
| cmp | "comp" [as when referring to a free ticket] | an abbreviation meaning to compare |
| pos | "pause" | an abbreviation meaning a position pointer |
| COMPOUND-WORD C and C++ LIBRARY FUNCTION NAMES | ||
| strcpy() | "stir cop ee" | |
| strncpy() | "stern cop ee" | |
| strchar() | "stir car" | |
| strrchar() | "stir r car" | |
| strnchar() | "stern car" | |
| strcmp() | "stir comp" | |
| strncmp() | "stern comp" | |
| strspn() | "stir span" | |
| strstr() | "stir stir" | |
| strtok() | "stir toke" | |
| strdup() | "stir dupe" | |
| strpos() | "stir pause" | |
| substr() | "sub stir" | |
| atoi() | "ay to eye" [a-to-i] | |
| itoa() | "eye to ay" [i-to-a] | |
| cout() | "see out" | |
| cin() | "see in" | |
| cerr() | "see air" | |
| printf() | "print eff" | |
| sprintf() | "sprint eff" | |
| getstr() | "get stir" | |
| wget() | "DUB ul you get" | |
| OTHER C LIBRARY FUNCTION NAMES | ||
| malloc() | "MAL ock" [short "a", short "o"] | |
| calloc() | "CAL ock" [short "a", short "o"] | |
| FILE FORMAT NAMES | ||
| gif | "jiff" [like the brand of peanut butter] | a graphic file format |
| png | "ping" [rhymes with "ding"] | a graphic file format |
| jpg | "JAY peg" [accent on the first syllable] | a graphic file format |
| jpeg [same as jpg] | "JAY peg" [accent on the first syllable] | a graphic file format |
| tif | "tiff" | a graphic file format |
| tiff [same as tif] | "tiff" | a graphic file format |
| wav | "wave" | an audio file format |
| aiff | "ay eye eff eff" [spell it out] | an audio file format |
| OTHER COMMON SOFTWARE TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS | ||
| daemon | "DEE mun" [like demon, accent on the first syllable] | a program that runs as a background process [NOTE: Some people will insist it is "DAY mun"] |
| wiki | "WICK ee" [accent on the first syllable] | a Web site that allows visitors to share and update information by contributing and/or editing content |
| tuple | "TOO pull" [long u sound] | a data object containing two or more (usually ordered) items [NOTE: Some people will insist it is "TUP pl" with a short u] |
| Drupal | "DREW pl" [long u sound] | a PHP programming framework and content management system |
| SYMBOLS (IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS) | ||
| ARITHMETIC OPERATORS | ||
| + | "plus" | used to indicate an addition operation |
| - | "minus" | used to indicate a subtraction operation |
| * | "times" | used to indicate a multiplication operation |
| / | "divided by" | used to indicate a division operation |
| % | "MOD u lus [accent on the first syllable]" | indicates the modulus [the remainder after division] |
| ++ | "increased" | increment ("increase") a value by 1 [as in i++, pronounced "increased i"] |
| -- | "decreased" | increment ("decrease") a value by 1 [as in i--, pronounced "decreased i"] |
| COMPARISON OPERATORS | ||
| < | "is less than" | a left angle bracket used as a comparison operator |
| <= | "is less than or equal to" | two characters used as a single comparison operator |
| > | "is greater than" | a right angle bracket used as a comparison operator |
| >= | "is greater than or equal to" | two characters used as a single comparison operator |
| == | "is equal to" | the double equal sign used as a comparison operator |
| != | "is not equal to" | two characters used as a single comparison operator |
| <> | "is not equal to" | two characters used as a single comparison operator [only in PHP] |
| === | "is identical to" or "equal to and is the same type as" | the triple equal sign used as an identical comparison operator [only in PHP] |
| !== | "is not identical to" | three characters used as a single comparison operator [only in PHP] |
| ASSIGNMENT OPERATORS | ||
| = | "equals" or "is assigned to" | the single equal sign used as an assignment operator |
| += | "plus equals" | accumulate the sum |
| -= | "minus equals" | accumulate the difference |
| *= | "times equals" | accumulate the product |
| /= | "divide equals" | accumulate the quotient |
| %= | "MOD u lus equals" | accumulate the modulus [the remainder after division] |
| LOGICAL OPERATORS | ||
| && | "and" | two ampersand characters used as the "logical and" operator |
| || | "or" | two pipe characters used as the "logical or" operator |
| ! | "is not" | the exclamation point character used as the "logical not" operator |
| BITWISE OPERATORS | ||
| & | "and" | a single ampersand character used as the "bitwise and" operator |
| | | "or" | a single pipe character used as the "bitwise or" operator |
| ^ | "not" | a single caret character used as the "bitwise not" operator |
| ~ | "the complement of" or "the exclusive or of" | a single tilde character used as the "bitwise complement" or "exclusive or" operator |
| << | "shifted left by" | two left angle brackets used as the "bitwise shift left" operator |
| >> | "shifted right by" | two right angle brackets used as the "bitwise shift right" operator |
| ADDRESS, DEREFERENCE and REFERENCE OPERATORS | ||
| & | "the address of" | used to declare an address of a variable in C [as in "&i"] |
| * | "pointer to" | used to declare a pointer to a data type in C [as in "int * ptrToInt = &i"] |
| * | "star" | used to dereference a pointer in C [as in "if (i == *ptrToInt")] |
| . | "dot" | used to dereference a data field or method in JAVA |
| & | "the reference of" | used to indicate a variable passed by reference in PHP |
| STRING CONCATENATION OPERATORS | ||
| + | "plus" | used to concatenate Strings in C++ and JAVA [as in "Hello, " + "World"] |
| . | "dot" | used to concatenate Strings in PHP [as in "Hello, " . "World"] |