Check back in the archieves. This is a common question. The problem is basically when input commands at the command line, when you hit the carriage return it is assuming there is a complete command. 'if' not followed by an 'else' is assumed to be complete and when you type the 'else' by itself it is unexpected. At the command line, always use brackets or have the 'else' on the same line:
if (test) statement else statement #OK if (test){ statement } else { statement } #OK Within a function, or a block like the 'for' loop, the statement is not complete until the closing bracket, so internally it will be parsed correctly, but just get into the habit of making sure the if/else are on the same line or bracket. On Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 9:01 AM, Esmail <esmail...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello, would someone please help explain the following inconsistency > in the if/else statement to me? > > The format of the if/else #3 below is ok, but if/else #1 is not? (I get > an "unexpected else" type error.) In order for it to work I have to use > if/else #2 > > Thanks .. maybe there is some reason for this, but this looks very > inconsistent to me. > > R version 2.10.1 (2009-12-14) > Ubuntu 9.04 > > Esmail > > > --------------- > > #if (ZELIG) ######## if/else #1 > # cat(sprintf("Zelig for %d runs - timeR\n", RUNS)) > #else > # cat(sprintf("lme for %d runs - timeR\n", RUNS)) > > > if (ZELIG){ ####### if/else #2 > cat(sprintf("Zelig for %d runs - timeR\n", RUNS)) > } else > { > cat(sprintf("lme for %d runs - timeR\n", RUNS)) > } > > > cat(date()," start - timeR\n") > > for(i in 1:RUNS) > { > > if (ZELIG) ##### if/else #3 > do_Zelig() > else > do_lme() > > > cat(i, ' - ', date(),"\n") > } > > cat(date()," end - timeR\n") > sink() > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. > -- Jim Holtman Cincinnati, OH +1 513 646 9390 What is the problem that you are trying to solve? ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.