As developers, we often face the challenge of balancing meaningful variable names with code readability. Long, descriptive names can make code harder to read, while short names may lack context. For example:

# Long but descriptive
lowest_integer_allowed_to_set_as_upper_bound_in_game_mode = 10

# Short but less clear
lowest_bound = 10

I’ve been considering a potential solution: allowing developers to attach descriptive metadata directly to variables. This could look something like:

int lowest_bound @description("The lowest integer allowed to set as the upper bound in game mode") = 10;

IDEs could then display this description when hovering over the variable, maintaining readability while preserving context.

Questions:

1. Are there existing programming languages or IDEs that support this kind of feature?
2. How does this idea compare to existing solutions for managing the trade-off between descriptive naming and code readability (e.g., comments, documentation strings)?
3. Could this approach effectively improve code maintainability and developer productivity?