Thread: Misplaced else

Code:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;




int main()
{
int a=4;


if(a<4)
cout<<"a is smaller than 4";
cout<<a;
else if(a==4)
cout<<"a is equal to 4";
else
    cout<<"///etc";


}

i know this error is due to missing brace..but my question is how the compiler manipulate this code.........i mean why it does not execute the statement following if and then remaining code cout<<a; in ordinary procedural way.....ple help



THANKS.........

Because any syntax error causes the whole program to be invalid. C is not interpreted; it does not execute line by line until something bad happens.

but how is this a syntax error........is it not like tht for compiler..............like in my code..

1)check condition..
1.1) if true....cout<<"a is smaller than 4";
then cout<<a;
and the leaving else -if as it........

There's no if there for the else to attach to -- once you hit the semicolon on line 14 (as posted), the if has been used up and cannot have any thing else to attach to it. Once you have an unconditionally executed statement, like cout << a in your example (which will always run regardless of the relationship between a and 4), there's no going back to the if and saying "oh wait here's an else".