Is using "is" to name Boolean variables bad practice?

isLame() is very common, and I consider it to be not lame. In Java, it's part of the JavaBeans specification, and therefore quite an ensconced practice.

It's used quite often in a lot of languages, but I don't know if it can be said with certainty that it's the preferred method.

I think consistency and everyone on a given team using the same standards/styles is the important thing to bear in mind.

I would not use any hard and fast rules here. Although I find a prefix such as 'Is' useful in identifying a boolean property, there are many cases where 'Is' would not be the best choice.

• Car.HasFlatTyre vs Car.IsFlatTyre
• Cars.AreAllRed vs Cars.IsAllRed
• etc...

The MSDN naming guidelines include the following relevant advice.

Do name Boolean properties with an affirmative phrase (CanSeek instead of CantSeek). Optionally, you can also prefix Boolean properties with Is, Can, or Has, but only where it adds value.