Informix Error -21609: Unmatched ^ELSE at line line-number.

Reasons / Common Causes

-21609 fires when an mkmessage input file's preprocessor encounters an ^ELSE directive with no matching ^ifdef/^ifndef — per the official guidance.

1. An ^ELSE directive with no preceding matching ^ifdef/^ifndef, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Add the missing ^ifdef/^ifndef, or remove the stray ^ELSE, per the official guidance's implication.

Examples

An unmatched ^ELSE

^ELSE
Some text.
^ENDIF

Corrected

^ifdef SOME_MACRO
Some text.
^ELSE
Other text.
^ENDIF

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the preprocessor block containing the reported line number for a matching ^ifdef/^ifndef, and add or remove directives to balance it.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -21610 — "Unmatched ^ENDIF at line line-number." The equivalent unmatched-directive error, for ^ENDIF rather than ^ELSE.
• -21613 — "Syntax error at line line-number. Expect ifdef, ifndef, else or endif." A related preprocessor syntax error, general to any malformed directive rather than specifically an unmatched ^ELSE.

An ^ELSE directive had no matching ^ifdef/^ifndef — balance the preprocessor block.