Point 2 is also for security[1], especially in languages with non-hygienic[2] macro systems such as C. But as another commenter (yissp) already pointed out, eve

Point 2 is also for security[1], especially in languages with non-hygienic[2] macro systems such as C. But as another commenter (yissp) already pointed out, even without macros it can quickly go bad. I once liked omitting blocks in if, while, for etc., but stopped doing it altogether and it now jumps out as a wart to me, too. It's just too risky for too little benefit. What I disagree with sometimes is whether the block needs to start on a new line. For example I would like to do this: if (foo = bar) { blah(); } But my former team was against it, and my current team uses a style enforcement tool (which I do agree with in principle), so I don't. Point 1 is fine by me and the team: We embrace "tabs for indentation, spaces for alignment", so that fits into the philosophy. Point 3, i.e. disallowing inline comments, seems ill-conceived and bad to me. [1] Actually correctness, which often means security. [2] Or rather a generalization of what "hygienic macro" means.