### 6.3.5 Usage of brackets

In SINGULAR, curly brackets (`{` `}`) must always be used to enclose the statement body following such constructs like `if`, `else`, `for`, or `while`, even if this block consists of only a single statement. Similarly, in the return statement of a procedure, parentheses (`(` `)`) must always be used to enclose the return value. Even if there is no value to return, parentheses have to be used after a return statement (i.e., `return();`). For example,

    if (i == 1) return i;    // WRONG!!!!!

results in an error. Instead, it must be written as

    if (i == 1) { return (i); }.

User manual for Singular version 4.4.1, 2025, generated by texi2html.