Nobody tell this guy about codegolf.

I was trying to learn about b-trees, and so I looked around and found this implementation, full of one letter variable names:
http://attractivechaos.awardspace.com/kbtree.h.html

Meh... that's just what happens when you try to write type-generic containers in C. I've seen worse.

I was trying to learn about b-trees, and so I looked around and found this implementation, full of one letter variable names:

http://attractivechaos.awardspace.com/kbtree.h.html

Hahaha. Wow! I've seen code like this before. I can't tell if that was intentional or not, because there is so much that is off about that code.

It's not really off, nor is it even particularly ugly, once you look past the heavy use of complex macros. It's just code from a different time. Looking at the copyright dates, you can see that original versions of it date back to 1997. 1997 was eons ago, in terms of language development. It was written in C first of all, and even if they'd have used C++, template support in C++ compilers of the day was nowhere near what it is now. Like Apoch said, it was just someone trying to write a generic tree type in the C language. To achieve that type of genericity in C took some arcane contortions, as you can see, but in many cases it was well worth the effort; and in fact, an old-school C programmer would not in any way be all that intimidated by that code, being more accustomed to that style of programming. Remember that in C, macros were not the pariahs they are now; in fact, they were quite integral to advanced usage of the language.

One letter variables are well suited for loops, or simple math formula, otherwise it's best to give an accurate variable name, even if it's long imo.

Use longer names instead of single letter variables. Consider replacing

a with alpha

b with beta

d with delta

etc.

I understand single letter variables for constants and loops, but I have seen code like the one posted prior that look like alien language. I just don't get it.

I mean, in math we represent quantities with variables, usually when those quantities are unknown or variable. But in programming we have freedom to give the variable a more descriptive name. I mean, it is useful to use single letter variables for formulas and perhaps this would be a justifiable use of single letter variables also.

m =
 
x =
xx = x*x
 
b =
a =
c =
 
m*xx + b*x + 4*a*c

And if these variables represented numbers that are generated by some arbitrary process, then I can see how code can get real cryptic looking but still be understood easily.

But it seems sometimes, for the sake of brevity, people use single letter variables or even non descriptive abbreviations all over the place. I'd have a hard time myself if I didn't make it recognizable for later on.