If Else statements in R - Unexpected else in else

Question

I have an assignment to sort 3 numbers in a vector by R only using if, else statements. I have changed parenthesis quite a bit but continue to get the "unexpected else in else" error in console

x <- c(200, 700, 1000)

if ((x[1] > x[2]) & (x[1] > x[3])) {
  if (x[2] > x[3]) {
    ord <- c(x[1], x[2], x[3])
  } else {
    ord <- c(x[1], x[3], x[2])
  }
}
else if ((x[2] > x[1]) & (x[2] > x[3]) {
  if (x[1] > x[3]) {
    ord <- c(x[2], x[1], x[3])
  } else {
    ord <- c(x[2], x[3], x[1])
  }
}
else if {
  (x[1] > x[2])
  ord <- c(x[3], x[1], x[2])
} else {
  ord <- c(x[3], x[2], x[2])
}
print(ord)

Answer 1

The error is on the line 8 from the end.

x <- c(200, 700, 1000)

if ((x[1] > x[2]) & (x[1] > x[3])) {
  if (x[2] > x[3]) {
    ord <- c(x[1], x[2], x[3])
  }
  else {
    ord <- c(x[1], x[3], x[2])
  }
}
else if ((x[2] > x[1]) & (x[2] > x[3]) {
  if (x[1] > x[3]) {
    ord <- c(x[2], x[1], x[3])
  }
  else  {
    ord <- c(x[2], x[3], x[1])
  }
}
else if(x[1] > x[2]){ # I moved the following line here
  # (x[1] > x[2]) # this is a mistake
  ord <- c(x[3], x[1], x[2])
}
else {
  ord <- c(x[3], x[2], x[2])
}

print(ord)

Answer 2

I have been able to correct this by moving "else if" part of the statement right in front of the else and this works. Unfortunately, unclear on the paradigm

if((x[1]>x[2]) & (x[1]>x[3])){
   if(x[2]>x[3]){
      ord <- c(x[1],x[2],x[3])}
    else {ord <- c(x[1],x[3],x[2])}} else if((x[2]>x[1]) & (x[2]>x[3])){
    if(x[1]>x[3]){
          ord <- c(x[2],x[1],x[3])}
    else  {ord <- c(x[2],x[3],x[1])}} else if (x[1]>x[2]){
     ord <- c(x[3],x[1],x[2])} else {ord <- c(x[3],x[2],x[1])}