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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Readability (was: "...the value becomes,indeterminate each time the declaration is reached")
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2019 23:25:01 -0700
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ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) writes:

> Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> writes:
>
>> I think some of [leaving braces off of controlled statements when
>> possible] comes from saving vertical space on OHP slides from the
>> 80s and 90s.
>
>   I am using a video projector now, but it's the same point:
>
>   When programs have many lines, I need to use a smaller font
>   if I want the whole program to be visible on the screen, and
>   then some participant will not be able to read the characters
>   (of that small font) - or only a smaller part of the program
>   can be displayed (with a larger font).

If a program has that many lines, it should be broken up
into smaller pieces that can each be understood individually.

>   With my formatting style, however, I can insert braces
>   /without/ consuming more vertical space:
>
> for( i = 0; i < 10; ++i )
> printf( "%d\n", i );
>
>   becomes
>
> for( i = 0; i < 10; ++i )
> { printf( "%d\n", i ); }
>
>   , and when another line is inserted:
>
> for( i = 0; i < 10; ++i )
> { printf( "%d\n", i );
>   printf( "%d\n", i ); }

This style has other defects, glaringly obvious, that more than
overcome the comparatively minor benefit of taking one fewer
line.  A splendid example of the tail wagging the dog.