do-while construct

[Carrick Talmadge]

Here is something I've always wondered about with regards to C.
Why is it that the syntax for do-while is

    do statement; while (expression) ;

rather than what I'd think would be more useful:

    do statement; while (expression) statement;

where "statement;" could of course be a compound statement.  I've seen
this more general construct in other languages, so it seems like it could
be done.  I'm curious to hear if anyone has heard a rationale for why it
was left out of the language.

Carrick Talmadge
clt at newton.physics.purdue.edu        
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