Compound Statements

A compound statement is a list of statements enclosed by braces. There are many common ways of formatting the braces. Please be consistent with our local standard. When editing someone else's code, always use the style used in that code.

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

The style above is called ``K&R style'', and is preferred if you haven't already got a favorite. With K&R style, the else part of an if-else statement and the while part of a do-while statement should appear on the same line as the close brace. With most other styles, the braces are always alone on a line.

When a block of code has several labels (unless there are a lot of them), the labels are placed on separate lines. The fall-through feature of the C switch statement, (that is, when there is no break between a code segment and the next case statement) must be commented for future maintenance. A lint-style comment/directive is best.

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

Here, the last break is unnecessary, but is required because it prevents a fall-through error if another case is added later after the last one. The default case, if used, should be last and does not require a break if it is last.

Whenever an if-else statement has a compound statement for either the if or else section, the statements of both the if and else sections should both be enclosed in braces (called fully bracketed syntax).

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

Braces are also essential in if-if-else sequences with no second else such as the following, which will be parsed incorrectly if the brace after (ex1) and its mate are omitted:

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

An if-else with else if should be written with the else conditions left-justified.

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

The format then looks like a generalized switch statement and the tabbing reflects the switch between exactly one of several alternatives rather than a nesting of statements.

Do-while loops should always have braces around the body.

Forever loops should be coded using the for(;;) construct, and not the while(1) construct. Do not use braces for single statement blocks.

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

Sometimes an if causes an unconditional control transfer via break, continue, goto, or return. The else should be implicit and the code should not be indented.

      File.Delete(TheFile => TheFile,
                  Success => OK);
      AuditSystemFault := AuditSystemFault and not OK;

The ``flattened'' indentation tells the reader that the boolean test is invariant over the rest of the enclosing block.