Forums Scripts & Popups Question about brackets and parentheses

I would like to know if there is any difference in how brackets are used within a statement?

is there a difference between brackets and parentheses used in a statement?

The way I see it both, of these statements are correct


ON @:TEXT:*:#: {
if $1 == op { mode $chan +o $2- }
}

ON @:TEXT:*:#: {
if ($1 == op) mode $chan +o $2-
}

from what I gather this one the extra brackets are useless within the statement

ON @:TEXT:*:#: {
if ($1 == op) [color:red]{ [color:green] mode $chan +o $2- [color:red]}
}

If you strictly follow the help file, only () { } is acceptable, but you're right, all three of those formats work.

The reason I ask is because I see different formats amung other scripts I just wanted to know if there was a correct format on scripting....

if (blah) { do stuff } is the correct format, but you can get away with using either () or {}.

The () parentheses are meant to allow you to control the order of operations within the comparison. Example:

if (%a && %b || %c) { ;commands }

if (%a && (%b || %c)) { ;commands }

if ((%a && %b) || %c) { ;commands }

In the first statement, the comparison will be evaluated in whatever priority mIRC uses (|| usually has lower priority than &&). In the second and third statements, you can see in exactly what order they will be evaluated mIRC (the || vs && priority is overridden by the parentheses).

As for the correctness, I always use at least one set of () in my if/while statements. I find it easier to follow the code that way. I also do this because I don't use the {} brackets when there is only one /command after it.

if (%a == a) echo -a a

if (%b == b) {
echo -a b
echo -a bb
}

-genius_at_work

Thanks Genius at work that puts the arguments of a statement in perspective.

genius_at_work


So, I guess the interpretation of how a statement is written is left to the scriptor, as long as all command arguments in the statement are in perspective.

Regarding the order, mirc evaluates conditions from left to right and && and || have equal precedence (an ages old behaviour that I would like changed).

It would take fractionally longer to evaluate:
if ($1 == op) { mode $chan +o $2- }
than it would:
if ($1 == op) mode $chan +o $2-

This is why if its only one command following the if I tend not to use the {}

From a purely personal stand point I find it very hard to read code thats missing the parentheses around the condition, it looks more like an alias with parameters than an if-then-else statement.

mIRC reads the { } like commands (so it's a little slower), so if you have just one line of code is better to use
if (%a > %b) echo -a %a is bigger!

if the lines are more than one you have to use the { }
if (%a > %b) {
echo -a %a is larger!
echo -a %b is smaller!
}
(i don't like the form command1 | command2 because is less readable)

I also always use the () in the if/while conditions, the code is more readable and don't think that it's slower