GML using brackets in IF statements? (does it matter?)

[Dr_Nomz]

So this is how most of my IF statements look:
if (keyboard_check(vk_shift) == true)

But, does it NEED brackets? And if so, why? What's the difference with or without them? Should I always use brackets?

 

[BattleRifle BR55]

In GML, with this specific example, you don't need the brackets for an if statement. It's really only necessary for stuff like BEDMAS.

You can also ditch the " == true" bit as well for such a function return. Any value 0.5 and up is considered true, or 1 in GML, and so a function returning 1 doesn't need a comparison which would also return 1.

 

[Neptune]

I feel like brackets add a lot of clutter in some places... so I avoid them when its easily understandable what the conditions are.

if jump
{

}

As apposed to:

if (jump && (this || that || run)) || paused
{

}

Even in this example, I usually skip the furthest bounding set of brackets...
Because GM is lenient about it, it is totally up to you, but its necessary when using && and ||, otherwise your logic will be messed up.

And as, Battlerifle said, these are the same:

if jump {}
if jump == true {}
if jump == 1 {}
if jump >= 0.5 {} //I guess?

 

[dannyjenn]

I personally always put the condition in parentheses, but it's not required.

And as, Battlerifle said, these are the same:

if jump {}
if jump == true {}
if jump == 1 {}
if jump >= 0.5 {} //I guess?

Actually, your third example (and maybe your second example) won't work unless jump is a boolean (set to either true, false, 1, or 0). Because suppose jump is not a boolean, and suppose jump has a value of 3. It would then be substituted as follows:

if(3){ } // works, because anything >=.5 is regarded as true. 3>=.5, so 3 is regarded as true.
if(3==true){ }
if(3==1){ } // <-- notice the problem? hint: 3 is not equal to 1
if(3>=0.5){ } // yes, 3 is bigger than .5

So the third example is clearly wrong. But as for the second example... I'm not sure. The constant true has a numerical value of 1, so by substitution it has the same problem as the third example. But it's possible that the compiler somehow regards ==true as >=0.5 (I don't know).

 

[Neptune]

My thinking was that 'jump' was a boolean lol
That'd be a weird name for it not to be