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+.. highlight:: cpp
+
+.. _lang-curly-braces:
+
+Curly Braces (``{``, ``}``)
+===========================
+
+.. contents:: Contents
+   :local:
+
+Introduction
+------------
+
+Curly braces (also referred to as just "braces" or as "curly
+brackets") are a major part of the C and C++ programming
+languages. They are used in several different constructs, outlined
+below, and this can sometimes be confusing for beginners.
+
+An opening curly brace, ``{`` must always be followed by a closing
+curly brace ``}``. This is a condition that is often referred to as
+the braces being *balanced*. The Maple IDE (integrated development
+environment) includes a convenient feature to check the balance of
+curly braces. Just select a brace, or even click the insertion point
+immediately following a brace, and its companion will be highlighted\
+[#fbug]_\ .
+
+Beginning programmers, and programmers coming to C++ from languages
+without braces, often find using them confusing or daunting.
+
+Because the use of the curly brace is so varied, it is good
+programming practice to type the closing brace immediately after
+typing the opening brace when inserting a construct which requires
+curly braces. Then insert some blank lines between your braces and
+begin inserting statements. Your braces, and your attitude, will never
+become unbalanced.
+
+Unbalanced braces can often lead to cryptic, impenetrable compiler
+errors that can sometimes be hard to track down in a large program.
+Because of their varied usages, braces are also incredibly important
+to the syntax of a program and moving a brace one or two lines will
+usually dramatically affect the meaning of a program.
+
+The main uses of curly braces
+-----------------------------
+
+**Functions**::
+
+      // a function body needs braces around it
+      void myFunction(datatype argument) {
+        // ... function body goes in here ...
+      }
+
+**Loops** (see the :ref:`while <lang-while>`\ , :ref:`for
+<lang-for>`\ , and :ref:`do/while <lang-dowhile>` loop reference
+pages for more information)::
+
+      // you should put braces around the body of a loop:
+
+      while (boolean expression) {
+         // code inside the loop goes here
+      }
+
+      for (initialisation; termination condition; incrementing expr) {
+         // code inside the loop goes here
+      }
+
+      do {
+         // code inside the loop goes here
+      } while (boolean expression);
+
+
+**Conditional statements** (see the :ref:`if statement <lang-if>`
+reference page for more information)::
+
+      // you should put braces around the body of an "if", "else if",
+      // or "else":
+
+      if (boolean expression) {
+          // code inside the "if"
+      }
+      else if (boolean expression) {
+          // code inside the "else if"
+      }
+      else {
+          // code inside the "else"
+      }
+
+**Switch statements** (see the :ref:`switch statement
+<lang-switchcase>` reference page for more information)::
+
+      switch (var) {
+      case 1:
+          doThing1();
+          break;
+      case 2:
+          doThing2();
+          break;
+      }
+
+.. rubric:: Footnotes
+
+.. TODO remove this once IDE 0.1.0 released
+
+.. [#fbug] At present this feature is slightly buggy as the IDE will
+   often find (incorrectly) a brace in text that has been commented
+   out.
+
+
+.. include:: cc-attribution.txt