C++ compilers always associate an else with the immediately preceding if unless told to do otherwise by the placement of braces ({ and }). This behavior can lead to what is referred to as the dangling-else problem. The indentation of the nested statement

Question

```
if (x > 5)
if (y > 5)
cout << "x and y are > 5";
else
cout << "x is <= 5";
```
appears to indicate that if x is greater than 5, the nested if statement determines whether y is also greater than 5. If so, the statement outputs the string "x and y are > 5". Otherwise, it appears that if x is not greater than 5, the else part of the if…else outputs the string "x is <= 5". Beware! This nested if…else statement does not execute as it appears. The compiler actually interprets the statement as
```
if (x > 5)
if (y > 5)
cout << "x and y are > 5";
else
cout << "x is <= 5";
```
in which the body of the first if is a nested if…else. The outer if statement tests whether x is greater than 5. If so, execution continues by testing whether y is also greater than 5. If the second condition is true, the proper string—"x and y are > 5"—is displayed. However, if the second con- dition is false, the string "x is <= 5" is displayed, even though we know that x is greater than 5. Equally bad, if the outer if statement’s condition is false, the inner if…else is skipped and noth- ing is displayed. For this exercise, add braces to the preceding code snippet to force the nested if…else statement to execute as it was originally intended.

Answer 1

```
if (x > 5) {
if (y > 5) {
cout << "x and y are > 5";
}
}
else {
cout << "x is <= 5";
}
```