The real WTF is that on my keyboard only 2 of the conditions can possibly be true at any one time.

Keyboard ghosting, FTW.

Syntax aside, what's actually concerning about the OP's before and after code, is that they're tying input processing directly to logic. Its well-enough for prototypes or small things, but it's probably gonna break-down right around the time you want to make the character jump, or do any kind of animation.

Be ye character? Or cursor?

If I'm going to use curly braces, then I want the open and closed characters nicely lined up vertically. Makes things nice and neat by grouping things in blocks.

But personally I just use Python these days and ignore these debates.

If I'm going to use curly braces, then I want the open and closed characters nicely lined up vertically. Makes things nice and neat by grouping things in blocks.

Well, if you insist:

if (keyboard_check(vk_left)) {
     x -= 5;
                             }

if (keyboard_check(vk_right)) {
     x += 5;
                              }

if (keyboard_check(vk_up)) {
     y -= 5;
                           }

if (keyboard_check(vk_down)) {
     y += 5;
                             }

You're wasting vertical space ... this is much better :D

if (keyboard_check(vk_left)) {
        x -= 5;              }

The OP code is not much different, however I find that

if (!something)
{
do stuff;
}

is a lot harder to read when I have a nest that is 5+ deep.

I personally prefer

if (!something){
do stuff;
}

If you have a nesting that deep probably the issue is the excessive nesting... (easier said than done, since this is not just a coding style issue, it's a programming issue as it's directly tied to the code structure)

I swear we had a programming style's discussion/argument not less than a month ago. will it never end?!

If you have a nesting that deep probably the issue is the excessive nesting... (easier said than done, since this is not just a coding style issue, it's a programming issue as it's directly tied to the code structure)

Hmm, let me dig around and see if I can find one of my "overly nested" projects . ( LSL is a nightmare for nests, however I do not believe I have any examples in that language left . )