We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Networking

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Does "Name Collision" Mean?

By Eugene P.
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,982
References
Share

Within the context of computers and computer programming, "name collision" is the technical term for an instance in which two items have the same name within some logical enclosure. A name collision can occur in many instances, such as with the names of files in a directory, or in a program in which local variables in a function have the same name as some global variables. Most of the time, a name collision must be resolved immediately in some way, whether automatically by an operating system or compiler or manually through user input and decisions. The concept of a namespace sometimes resolves collision issues by creating different logical regions in which items with similar names can co-exist without ambiguity. In certain programming instances, a name collision might not be immediately evident, occasionally leading to hard-to-find program errors that can result from the compiler making certain assumptions about the names of items used.

An example of how a name collision can occur involves two directories full of files. If each directory contains a file named "DATA", and the contents of one directory are copied into the other, then the computer's attempts to copy the file named DATA will find that a file with the same name already exists in the target directory. This creates a name collision. In this instance, the user usually will be prompted and allowed to choose from a list of resolutions, including renaming one of the files, not copying the file or overwriting one of the files.

One commonly used solution for a name collision is the implementation of namespaces. A namespace is simply a way to define an area under which object names are contained. In the above example, a directory technically is a namespace, meaning multiple files can all have the same name as long as they are each in different directories.

From a programming perspective, a name collision can occur in situations such as multiple inheritance, overlapping variable scopes, or even with imported libraries in some languages. In general, a compiler will notice a conflict and generate a warning or error, although this might not always be the case. Other than using namespaces, collisions in many programming languages can be avoided by using qualifiers. A qualifier usually is a prefix that can be placed in front of a variable or class name to distinguish it from another variable with the same name.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-does-name-collision-mean.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.