Curly braces {} are a unique type of punctuation with a contested identity – some call them braces, others call them brackets. The confusion arises from their similar bracket, but limitation to technical contexts compared to regular brackets.
Defining Curly Braces
Curly braces {} are sometimes called curly brackets. They are the only punctuation marks that contain the word “brace” in their name. They consist of two curving lines that face each other and resembles a pair of curly hands reaching towards one another. The overall shape looks like a sideways figure eight.
Curly braces are different from regular brackets in their curved shape and limited roles. Brackets, such as, parentheses and square brackets curve only on one side, while braces curve on both. More importantly, braces mainly appear in technical contexts like math, computer coding and music notation.
Braces vs Brackets – What’s the Difference?
Both contain bracket like shape, however they have restrictive usage. Most style guides distinguish between brackets and braces based on their function:
Brackets: Parentheses and square brackets set apart or clarify the text in common writing and prose.
Braces: Curly braces mainly use for technical purposes, such as in math, coding, etc.
So, in terms of punctuation categories, braces are not considered a true type of bracket, as they do not fulfill the same role in writing and literature. The curved shape causes the “bracket” misnomer. However, calling curly braces just another bracket would be inaccurate.
History of Curly Braces
Curly braces firstly emerged within computer programming code in 1960. They were incorporated into the BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language) developed at the University of Cambridge by Martin Richards.
Programmers used curly braces to denote logical blocks of code that belonged together, like loops, functions or conditional statements. This helped to structure large programs by visually grouping related commands into coherent “chunks” of code:
{
for x in range(10):Copy
print(“x is: ” + str(x))
}
The { and } marks became an efficient shorthand for delineating segments of code in many popular programming languages.
Before curly braces, programmers relied on the keywords like “begin” and “end”, or indentation to indicate code blocks. However, braces provided a more concise and visible means of establishing code blocks that worked well across programme languages. The increase of curly brace usage in coding syntax grew from these origins at Cambridge in the 1960s.
Other Programming Uses
In addition to marking logical chunks of code like loops and functions, curly braces serve other syntax roles in various programming languages:
- C-based languages like C, C++, Java, and C# use curly braces to delineate the start and end of conditional statements like “if”, “else if”, “for”, and “while”.
- JSON data formats rely on curly braces to delimit keys and values within JavaScript Object Notation object literals.
- In HTML templates, curly braces can embed template expressions dynamically.
- Shell scripting languages like Bash denote blocks of commands within curly braces for grouping.
- JavaScript adopted curly braces from C to designate blocks of code for functions, conditionals, or loops.
So, while indicating code blocks was the original purpose, curly braces expanded to other syntactic uses across diverse programming mediums. However, their readability and efficiency for delineating logical chunks remained consistent.
See also: Colon Chart
Mathematical Applications
Beyond curly braces punctuation examples in programming, they also appear in mathematical notation. They most commonly contain the fractional part of a number or decimal, like so:
{0.1415} represents the fractional part 0.1415
{3/2} represents the fractional part 0.5
The braces isolate just the decimal component. They also indicate a repeating decimal by using notation like:
0.666… = 0.{6}
The {6} denotes the digit 6 endlessly repeats.
In set theory, mathematicians use curly braces to denote sets of elements, with the elements separated by commas inside the braces:
{2, 4, 6, 8}
This represents the set of all even numbers from 2 to 8. The curly braces group the set elements together into an ordered collection.
Curly braces may also represent intervals or ranges, like so:
{1, 3, 5} = {x | 1 ≤ x ≤ 5, x is an integer}
These mathematical use cases take advantage of the braces’ ability to group related items, just like in programming.
Musical Notation
Curly braces play a role in musical notation as well. They are used to connect two or more lines of music together into one section, known as an accolade or brace.
Accolades group together multiple staves containing notes for different instruments that should be played simultaneously:
{Violin staff music…}
{Clarinet staff music…}
This links the violin and clarinet parts into one coherent section. Curly braces in sheet music visually link related passages into a bracketed unit.
Informal Writing Usage and Limitations
In prose and informal writing, curly braces can occasionally replace round or square brackets to offset text for clarification or aside comments:
- I stopped by the store to grab sandwich ingredients {gouda cheese, smoked ham, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, onions}.
- There was no way I was going on a road trip {unless the gas was paid for} since I would rather fly.
However, most style guides advise against using curly braces in regular body text. They warn that excessive use of braces in prose may confuse readers accustomed to parentheses and brackets for asides. The curved shape lacks familiarity.
For clear communication, standard parentheses and brackets are preferable for prose asides. Curly braces in regular writing should be used sparingly and avoided in formal writing.
See also: Semicolon Chart
Curly Braces Example Sentences
- To offset a clarifying aside, the professor announced {much to the students’ delight} that the test would be open-book.
- The computer program printed the array elements in a loop {i < 10} before stopping.
- In the math equation, the fractional part was contained within curly braces {0.825}.
- The concert band connected the wind and percussion scores with a curly brace { } symbol at the beginning of the sheet music.
- For organizational purposes, the historian separated each event into chunks with curly braces – {Event 1}, {Event 2}, {Event 3}.
- The object’s properties were encased in curly braces in the following JSON format: {“name”:”John”, “age”:30}.
- To avoid confusing the pH scale with a math sequence, she wrote {pH 1} is very acidic.
- In his short story, the author emphasized certain passages by placing them within {curly braces} for effect.
- The programmer used consistent indentation and curly braces { } to delineate the different code blocks.
- The curly braces { } set off the stage directions from the dialogue in his improperly formatted screenplay.
Conclusion
While their curved shape gives curly braces a distinct look, they serve purposes similar to other bracket types – offsetting, clarifying, and grouping related elements. But braces’ specialist roles in coding, math, and music notation distinguish them from true literary brackets.
Remembering that only curly braces contain “brace” in their name can help distinguish them from regular parentheses and brackets. Limiting curly brace usage to technical contexts, where they originated, is best for clarity. Yet occasionally they can provide visual flair to informal writing when used judiciously.
See also: Parentheses Chart
