Re: how to make a macro work as a single line if stmt without braces

Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> writes:

On Sat, 28 Sep 2024 21:53:06 -0700
Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> wrote:
>

Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> writes:
>

On Sat, 28 Sep 2024 05:02:05 -0700
Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> wrote:
>

Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> writes:
>
[...]
>

And don't use "Egyptian" braces [the style used in the
first edition of The C Programming Language, by Kernighan
and Ritchie].
>
This is the proper formatting style with braces
>
  if (failed)
  {
    ...
  }
  else
  {
    ...
  }
>
The vertical spacing introduced by the `{` line provides
separation between condition and the branch, which makes
your code much more readable.  [...]

>
What qualities does this layout style have that make it "more
readable", other than it being one that you like or prefer?

>
{ at the same level of indentation as its matching }

>
Certainly it is true that the layout style shown has the open
brace at the same level of indentation as the matching close
brace.  What about that property makes this layout "more
readable"?  The statement given sounds like a tautology -
I don't see that any new information has been added.

>
It makes it easier to see where block starts and where it ends.
Opening { followed by empty line is more bold visually than 'if
something { ' or then '} else {'.

Certainly having an open brace on a line by itself stands out
more than if the open brace were written at the end of an if()
or while() line.

Whether that makes it easier to see where a block starts is
something that can be measured, and also might be reader
dependent.  For myself I find that having open braces on lines by
themselves interferes with my ease of reading.  And that has been
true since before I ever programmed in C.

Now, I can live with both styles, but can see why many people
prefer style advocated by Andrey.

I've made a serious effort over the years to find out why people
who prefer the Andrey style are so definite that it is somehow
better.  I have yet to get an illuminating answer to that
question.  I've gotten various forms of non-answer arguments, and
what seem to me to be circular answers (like saying it is more
readable).  I understand that they prefer it;  I still don't
understand why they prefer it.  I acknowledge your point that
they think the open brace on a line by itself somehow helps with
their reading.  But I still don't understand why they think that.