Code Syntax Style: Braces for Single Nested Statements

C# specification allows you to safely omit braces around single nested statements under some parent statements, e.g. if-else, foreach, etc. However, code style guidelines may differ in this regard. Some consider the braces here as a requirement, some consider them redundant. Whatever style you prefer, the important thing is to have consistent use of braces throughout your codebase. With JetBrains Rider, you can define your preference for using braces after each type of code block and enforce this style.

JetBrains Rider also provides multiple formatting rules for braces layout (whitespaces, tabs, and new lines). You can configure these rules in Rider settings (Ctrl+Alt+S), for example, go to the Editor | Code Style | C# page and check the preferences on the Braces layout tab.

JetBrains Rider helps you apply braces style in the existing code and takes your preferences into account when it produces new code with code completion and code generation features, applies code templates and performs refactorings.

Applying style preferences for braces

By default, JetBrains Rider does nothing with braces for single nested statements because all related code inspections are disabled. So, if you want JetBrains Rider to control style preferences for single nested statements and notify you about violations of your preferences, you need to configure your preferences first.

JetBrains Rider highlights code that do not comply with your preferences and suggests the corresponding quick-fix or fix in scope. For example, you can opt to use braces for using:

Another option to enforce preferences for braces around single statements in a bulk mode is code cleanup. You can either run code cleanup with the default profile Default: Full Cleanup or run the cleanup with a custom profile solely targeted at your specific task as described below.

To apply preferences for braces with custom Code Cleanup profile

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S, or alternatively choose File | Settings on Windows and Linux or JetBrains Rider | Preferences on macOS.
2. Go to the Code Cleanup settings page: Editor | Code Cleanup.
3. Create a new profile as described in the To create a new custom cleanup profile section. In the Selected profile settings section for the new profile, tick the Add/Remove braces for single statements... check box. Optionally, you can enable other code cleanup tasks in this profile.
4. Click Save to apply the modifications and let JetBrains Rider choose where to save them, or save the modifications to a specific settings layer using the Save To drop-down list. For more information, see layer-based settings.
5. Select the scope where you want to enforce your preferences:
   • Set the caret anywhere in the file to enforce your preferences to the file.
   • Select one or more items in the Solution Explorer to enforce your preferences in the files under these nodes and their child items.
6. Choose Code | Code Cleanup in the main menu.
7. In the Code Cleanup dialog that opens, select the newly created profile.
8. Click OK. JetBrains Rider will enforce your preferences in the selected scope.