APS House Style :: Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces
Parentheses, brackets, and braces are used mathematically to indicate the order of specific processes (addition, subtraction, multiplications, division, etc.). The process within parentheses is performed first, followed by that inside the brackets, and finally by that within the braces.
When writing braces in text, use the «lbrace» and «rbrace» codes. The brace symbols themselves are reserved for complex coding.
As such, the following order of operations is always used for nested marks: { [ ( … ) ] }. The sequence is respectively repeated (for as long as necessary) in situations where all the other functions have been already used, as in the following manner: { [ ( { [ ( … ) ] } ) ] }. These symbols are always used in pairs.
Numbers placed right next to parentheses, brackets, and braces are used as a mathematical "shortcut" to indicate multiplication, and these numbers should be bumped (no space) with the parenthesis, bracket, or brace next to them.
Sometimes, parentheses are used to indicate coordinates on a graph. These are styled as (x, y), where x is the position on the x-axis and y is the position on the y-axis of a graph.
The Codecheck function double checks for you to determine if parentheses and brackets have been correctly used. It stops close to the location where it believes that the error occurs, and you have to examine the sentence and determine if it is correct.
In the same manner, the Codecheck function recognizes all information within typed braces { … } as a complex code. If this information is not in proper code format, it will query you to review it and place it in the correct format or to change the typed braces to «lbrace» and «rbrace» codes.