extra braces inside main

I ran across this code and was wondering what the extra braces are there for?

Code:

---

int main()
 {
  const int sz = 100; // Buffer size;
  char buf[sz];
 


{


    ifstream in("Strfile.cpp"); // Read
    assure(in, "Strfile.cpp"); // Verify open
    ofstream out("Strfile.out"); // Write
    assure(out, "Strfile.out");
    int i = 1; // Line counter

    // A less-convenient approach for line input:
    while(in.get(buf, sz))
    {
      in.get(); // Throw away next character (\n)
      cout << buf << endl; // Must add \n
      out << i++ << ": " << buf << endl;
    }
 


} // Destructors close in & out

 
} ///:~

---

It seems very odd to me but compiled fine when i removed the assure function calls. I also removed the ofstream stuff, but i think it would compile with that in there also

They have no purpose in the posted code, other than to potentially prevent all variables declared in there from being used in the code after the last red }.

They just define another scope block. As a result, all variables declared inside that block, exist only until that block ends, then they're gone.

Quzah.