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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Coding style for small if statements
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2020 05:43:24 -0800
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John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> writes:

> On Friday, January 31, 2020 at 2:46:22 PM UTC-6, Anton Shepelev wrote:
>
>> Hello, all
>>
>> What do you think about the formatting and readability of
>> the following code of mine from a display-setup function for
>> the DOSBox emulator:
>>
>>          if( dblh != dblw )
>>            if( dblh ) gfx_flags |= GFX_DBL_H; else
>>                       gfx_flags |= GFX_DBL_W;
>
> Gah.  That merits a paddlin'.
>
> My personal rules:
>
> 1. Only omit braces for the innermost if (when applicable),
>    and only if it does not have an associated else;
> 2. Braces and else go on their own lines;
> 3. Braces line up with the if and else;
>
> To wit:
>
>     if ( dblh != dblw )
>     {
>       if ( dblh )
>       {
>         gfx_flags |= GFX_DBL_H;
>       }
>       else
>       {
>         gfx_flags |= GFX_DBL_W;
>       }
>     }
>
> Unambiguous.  It's clear which if the else belongs to, it's clear
> which branch is taken based on the conditions, etc.  You won't
> introduce a bug if you decide to add a logging statement to either
> branch.  It sacrifices some vertical space (and a little visual
> clutter), but nobody's going to come tracking you down later to
> ask what the hell you meant.

Remarkable.  Advocating for a way of writing that uses eleven
lines where a single line suffices.

> Always write code assuming the person maintaining it is a violent
> psychopath who knows where you live.

If that were actually true you would already be dead, or at least
maimed severely. :)