Braces are not Compiler-Fluff.

[Ray Dunn]

In article <292 at twwells.uucp> bill at twwells.UUCP (T. William Wells) writes:
>
>This, among style issues, is one of the few that is actually
>decidable on objective grounds. Arguing it, without reference to
>those objective grounds is pointless.
>

Unfortunately, not quite, as it presupposes that the *style* which is
required to make the rest of the argument objective, is the One True Style.

Thus (devils advocating), if one thinks that

	if (a) {b=2; c=2;}

is acceptable style, then the conclusions that braces are not required and
indentation is sufficient is far from objective.

Don't get me wrong, I *do* believe that the fact that compilers use braces,
and humans imply structure from the indentation level is the cause of many
missed bugs.  A simple common example even without adding the braces factor
(not to be confused with bootstraps (see below) (:-) is:

	if (a_flag_is_set_up);
		do_this_now();

where the indentation clue is "stronger" than the semi-colon clue, to (some)
human eyes.

I  was inclined to say that to *return* to a column format type approach
would be retrograde, like returning to 80 column cards and Fortran (or, God
Forbid, JCL).  On reflection, however, on todays editing and output devices,
"significant whitespace" is probably fully acceptable.  The only real
problem areas are with line-wraps, which will always occur, even with the
best will in the world, and a set of conventions which through necessity
would have to look like a current "style wars" definition.

Now wouldn't it be fun getting *that* through a standards committee!

[I suddenly realize that the braces/bootstrap "joke" above is, in fact
colloquial, and depends on the fact that in British English "braces" is the
term used where North Americans would use "suspenders"!  Ah well, a joke is
never worth while if it has to be explained! (:-)]
-- 
Ray Dunn.                      |   UUCP: ..!philabs!micomvax!ray
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