In a compiler, if the syntax analysis stage encounters a nested 'if-else' statement without proper block delimiters (e.g., curly braces in C), which failure mode becomes highly likely?

💡 Explanation

A dangling 'else' arises because the syntax analyzer cannot definitively associate an 'else' clause with its intended 'if' statement when block delimiters are absent. This results in a parsing error, therefore incorrect program behavior occurs, rather than errors in lexical analysis or code generation which are independent stages.

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