is curly braces here is a must?

Hello,
is the following:

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++)
      if (x == 1)
          y = 5 * x;

---

(Without curly braces)

the same as:

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++)
      {
            if (x == 1)
                y = 5 * x;
      }

---

(With curly braces)?

Thank you.

Yes.

The reason is that the if(condition) statement line of code, is not a full line, we write it that way to help us, but the compiler see's it as ONE statement, until it reaches the ending semi-colon.

Did you try compiling it and seeing what happens? That is where I would start if I were you.

Normally I put curly braces around all blocks just for readability and so that I do not have to guess what the code is going to do because of some misplaced or absent curlies.

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++)
{
      if (x == 1)
      {
          y = 5 * x;
      }
}

---

The code as it is makes no sense though.

Huge agreement with Bubba

...and for another reason...debugging.

If you use a GUI debugger and want to set breakpoints, it's nearly impossible to get them write unless you have a coding style like Bubba's.

Even:

if ( a ) c = d;

Is a problem in this regard, because you can't set a breakpoint on c=d that fires only when "a" is true, and this comes up enough that it's worth the brackets, IMO.

Another reason to use the brackets - expansion.

Today, it's just c=d, then that turns into c=d, g=f, then you need to introduce a function call, and soon you have to add the brackets anyway.

Yes because it's so hard to go back later and add a pair of braces around a statement that doesn't have them. :rolleyes:

I also prefer braces, but those were some of the lamest reasons I've ever read.


Quzah.

For the original question, the answer, as pointed out, is they are equivalent.

I suggest putting curly braces around everything, too, though.

Suppose you have something like

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++)
      y += i;

---

And later decided to add one more statement to the loop, if you are not careful, you can be misled by the indentation.

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++)
      y += i;
      x += i;

---

That, however, is equivalent to

Code:

---

for ( i = 1 ; i < 5 ; i++) {
      y += i;
}
x += i;

---

The compiler won't necessarily complain because the code can be and often is perfectly legal.

This can lead to some hard to find bugs.

Quote:

---

I also prefer braces, but those were some of the lamest reasons I've ever read.

---

How about I add another one saying that the coding standards at work require I put curlies around everything so I have gotten used to doing it this way? Is that a better reason?

Thank you all for your support.