What is a generic term for name/identifier? (as opposed to label)
- by d3vid
I need to refer to a number of things that have both an identifier value (used in code and configuration), and a human-readable label. These things include:
database columns
dropdown items
subapplications
objects stored in a dictionary
I want two unambiguous terms. One to refer to the identifier/value/key. One to refer to the label.
As you can see, I'm pretty settled on the latter :) For the former, identifier seems best (not everything is strictly a key, and value and name could refer to the label; although, identifier usually refers only to a variable name), but I would prefer to follow an established practice if there is one.
Is there an established term for this? (Please provide a source.) If not, are there any examples of a choice from a significant source (Java APIs, MSDN, a big FLOSS project)?
(I wasn't sure if this should be posted here or to English Language & Usage. I thought this was the more appropriate expert audience. Happy to migrate if not.)
