C bites / programming style

[Richard L. Klappal]

In article <209 at 3comvax.UUCP> mikes at 3comvax.UUCP (Mike Shannon) writes:
>
>With regard to changing
>
>	if(condition) {		 |		if(condition)
>		s1;		into			{
>		s2;		 |			s1;
>	}			 |			s2;
>				 |			}
>
>[the idea is to indent the braces so that they are in the same column as
>	the statements they enclose]
>
>	Why do you like this style?  This seems to indicate that
>the braces are associated in your mind with the enclosed statements.
>	In my mind, the braces are associaed with the 'if' statment, and
>so they should be indented at the same column as the 'if'.  I look for
>the closing brace in the same column to be a sort of 'statement terminator'
>(i.e. when I see it, I think "Ah, the end of the if statement").
>	I've seen this unusual indentation style before, and I'm curious
>if you developed a preference for it in learning some other language?
>For some reason, I find this style to be especially hard to read.  Anybody
>else feel the same way?
>-- 
>			Michael Shannon {ihnp4,hplabs}!oliveb!3comvax!mikes
Personally, I use the second construct you illustrated only
in PL/I, reason being that the list output from the compiler
shows the indent level in this format, E.i.:

  b:	if (cond) then
  c:	    do;
  c:	    stmts;
  c:	    end;
  b:	more stmts;

where the b:, c: represent the indent level.

In C, the cb program outputs statements in the style of your
first example, or (again my preference):
	if (cond)
	{
		stmts;
	}

I generally try adapting my coding style to the debugging/style
aids are available on the system/language I which I have to work.
I may not agree entirely with the way those aids put things,
but when I have to repair/update someone elses code, one pass
thru the PrettyPrinter puts that code into my style.




-- 

Richard Klappal

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