What type of statement is often surrounded by brackets to indicate a block of code?

The type of statement that is often surrounded by brackets to indicate a block of code is a conditional statement. In many programming languages, such as Java, C++, and JavaScript, conditional statements like "if", "else if", and "else" allow developers to execute certain blocks of code based on specific conditions. The opening and closing brackets {} or sometimes parentheses () are used to define the beginning and end of the block of code that should be executed if the condition is met. This structure not only organizes the code but also visually represents the scope of the condition, making it clear which statements are conditioned by the specified logical expressions.

In contrast, while function statements, loop statements, and input/output statements have their own syntax and structures, they do not universally rely on brackets in the same contextual way as conditional statements do. For example, loop statements frequently use brackets as well but are not specifically defined around a condition as conditionals are; they manage repeating blocks of code more than they define a conditional execution path. Thus, conditional statements distinctly differentiate themselves through their reliance on brackets to form their logical constructs.