<p>These are very generic names whose meaning is completely context specific.</p>
<p>Likely, where you saw <code>pto</code>, it was a pointer type and there was somewhere nearby a variable called <code>o</code>.</p>
<p>Similarly, a critical section is just a chunk of code proteceted by a mutex. Knowing that <code>cs_m</code> is a mutex is just about as good as knowing that it's a critical section mutex.</p>
<p>So for these, it pretty much doesn't matter what they mean. Just looking at how they're used in the chunk of code that uses them should give you all the insight possible and knowing how the name was chosen doesn't add very much, if anything.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-28T17:40:34.610Z
FWIW, `pto` means "pointer to `to`", as in a pointer to the data structure corresponding to the node we're sending to.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-25T23:28:17.937Z
2023-01-25T23:28:17.937Z
David Schwartz
<p><strong>ex 1</strong> <code>cs_m</code> : critical section.
The thing is, even knowing 'm' stands for <em>mutex</em>, a google search of cs mutex doesn't lead to <em>critical section</em>, the meaning of <em>cs</em> as it turns out.</p>
<p><strong>ex 2</strong> <code>pto</code> : I'm guessing it stands for 'pointer o' but what's the o, and where can I become more literate in the codebase as far as chosen variables and expressions are concerned? C++ reference material obvious doesn't refer/handle our naming conventions.</p>
<p>Edit: I am referring to Bitcoin Core. For example2. <code>pto</code> appears 63 times in <code>src/net_processing.cpp</code> - first on Line 4927</p>

<bitcoin-core-development>
The Codebase is full of acronyms - what is the best way to find out what they mean. Examples in body
Paul Kania
# The Codebase is full of acronyms - what is the best way to find out what they mean. Examples in body

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-24)

**ex 1** `cs_m` : critical section.
The thing is, even knowing 'm' stands for *mutex*, a google search of cs mutex doesn't lead to *critical section*, the meaning of *cs* as it turns out.

**ex 2** `pto` : I'm guessing it stands for 'pointer o' but what's the o, and where can I become more literate in the codebase as far as chosen variables and expressions are concerned? C++ reference material obvious doesn't refer/handle our naming conventions.

Edit: I am referring to Bitcoin Core. For example2. `pto` appears 63 times in `src/net_processing.cpp` - first on Line 4927

**Tags:** bitcoin-core-development


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-25. Score: 1

These are very generic names whose meaning is completely context specific.

Likely, where you saw `pto`, it was a pointer type and there was somewhere nearby a variable called `o`.

Similarly, a critical section is just a chunk of code proteceted by a mutex. Knowing that `cs_m` is a mutex is just about as good as knowing that it's a critical section mutex.

So for these, it pretty much doesn't matter what they mean. Just looking at how they're used in the chunk of code that uses them should give you all the insight possible and knowing how the name was chosen doesn't add very much, if anything.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: FWIW, `pto` means "pointer to `to`", as in a pointer to the data structure corresponding to the node we're sending to.  

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