---
title: Method naming conventions
description: Classes in the Java API Client contain two kinds of methods and properties: Methods and properties that are part of the API, such as ElasticsearchClient.search()...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/clients/java/api-conventions/method-naming
products:
  - Elasticsearch
  - Elasticsearch Client
  - Elasticsearch Java Client
---

# Method naming conventions
Classes in the Java API Client contain two kinds of methods and properties:
- Methods and properties that are part of the API, such as `ElasticsearchClient.search()` or `SearchResponse.maxScore()`. They are derived from their respective names in the Elasticsearch JSON API using the standard Java `camelCaseNaming` convention.
- Methods and properties that are part of the framework on which the Java API Client is built, such as `Query._kind()`. These methods and properties are prefixed with an underscore to both avoid any naming conflicts with API names, and as an easy way to distinguish the API from the framework.