Definition: Someone who identifies; a person who establishes the identity of.
Alright class, settle in and let’s take a look! That dictionary definition – "someone who identifies; a person who establishes the identity of" – is a good starting point, but it needs a little refining for our coding world. An identifier in programming, you see, isn't about people at all, no need to be decree-ed! It’s like a label , a name, a tag so bright, Used to tell the computer just what is right. Think of it this way: you want to use a number, say "five," But computers don't understand that – they don't feel alive! So, you give it an identifier – let’s call it “myNumber” – nice and clear, And the computer knows exactly what you hold dear. It could be a variable name, a function’s title too, Anything to help the code run smoothly for you. Key things to remember: Identifiers must start with a letter or underscore (like ‘_’) – don't begin with a number, it's true! They can have letters and numbers, and underscores too. They need to be descriptive - make it easy for you and others to see what they represent, it’s the best way to be! Does that rhyme help you understand? Do you have any questions about this important coding friend? Let's discuss!