Automagic Forum

This should be valid, but it's not.

if (true) a=1;
else a=2;

The following is valid. Only the if requires brackets,

if (true) {a=1;}
else a=2;

the else doesn't require them, and that's the inconsistent part.

else can have them too. Or to be exactly clear, I always put indent But that takes a looooot of space for a simple if-else like that. The else part doesn't have to have the braces if it is single lines. The same with the if() part, if you don't put semicolon at the first. The else part still require semicolon though to end the if-else block. So the braces only used to group multiple expression into single block of execution.

You can even simplify it as single line, if you already understand what it does and want to save some space Heck, you even use ternary form here, if the if-else part assign value to the same variable

The point is if() requires the brackets, while the else does not.

Oh, the bracket is requirement for the if() block. Else is optional, hence not bracketed.