# Pattern Style Guide

The patterns have been written by various different people over many years. So naturally they don't read like "written by the same person".

However by following a couple of conventions when writing patterns we try to create at least some style consistency.

## Naming Patterns

Finding a good name for a pattern isn't easy. We want the pattern name to be **memorable**, **concise**, and **descriptive** of what the pattern is about.

Some suggestions on how to achieve this:

- memorable: Well that might be the hardest one to get right (and to agree on). We hope that the sum of all tips here helps you find a memorable name for your pattern.
- concise: Use 5 words or less. Many of the patterns published in our book actually have 2 or 3-word titles.
- descriptive: We suggest to use either the **problem** that the pattern solves, or the **solution** as inspiration for the pattern name.
- don't use "InnerSource" in the name - all of these patterns are about InnerSource, so consider if using the term InnerSource makes it easier for potential readers to understand what this pattern is about. Note that there can also be good reasons to use InnerSource in the name as in "InnerSource License" for example.
- don't use special characters in the title. stick to `[a-zA-Z]` :)

And some technicalities:

- We use titlecase for Patterns e.g. "Document your Guiding Principles"
- The name of your markdown file should be the same as the title, and only use lowercase and hyphens (e.g. `document-your-guiding-principles.md`).
- This file name will also show up as the last part of the URL when your pattern is published to our online book e.g. `https://patterns.innersourcecommons.org/p/document-your-guiding-principles`.

## InnerSource Spelling

We recommend the spelling **InnerSource**.

We encourage you to use the word as a proper noun (like “We use InnerSource in that repo”) wherever possible. We discourage the use of verb forms of the word (like “We’re inner-sourcing that repo”).

For the full story behind this see [InnerSource Spelling](innersource-spelling.md).

## Glossary

See [Glossary](glossary.md).
