Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token using an else statement in JavaScript code block

Question

Why do I get a "Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token" else eror in Chrome tools using this code, I thought I should just use else here not else if ?

var friendName;

function findFriend(){
   friendName = $('#friendsearch').val();
   console.log(friendName);

    var query = new Parse.Query(Parse.User);
    query.equalTo("username", friendName);  // find users that match
query.find({
        success: function(friendMatches) {

             if (friendMatches.length === 0)
                alert('NO MATCH FOUND!!!');
}
            else  {
            // Query executed with success

              {  alert('MATCH FOUND!!!');

        },
        error: function (error) {
         alert('query failed with error' + error.message);
        }
});
}

$('#find_button').click(function(e){
    findFriend();
});

Answer 1

With reasonable (auto-)indentation, you spot the error(s) easily:

function findFriend() {
    friendName = $('#friendsearch').val();
    console.log(friendName);
    var query = new Parse.Query(Parse.User);
    query.equalTo("username", friendName); // find users that match
    query.find({
        success: function (friendMatches) {
            if (friendMatches.length === 0)
                 alert('NO MATCH FOUND!!!');
        } else {
            // Query executed with success
            {
                alert('MATCH FOUND!!!');
            },
            error: function (error) {
                alert('query failed with error' + error.message);
            }
        });
    }

The braces around the else are too much, it should be

function findFriend() {
    friendName = $('#friendsearch').val();
    console.log(friendName);
    var query = new Parse.Query(Parse.User);
    query.equalTo("username", friendName); // find users that match
    query.find({
        success: function (friendMatches) {
            if (friendMatches.length === 0)
                alert('NO MATCH FOUND!!!');
            else // Query executed with success
                alert('MATCH FOUND!!!');
        },
        error: function (error) {
            alert('query failed with error' + error.message);
        }
    });
}

or

        …
        success: function (friendMatches) {
            if (friendMatches.length === 0) {
                alert('NO MATCH FOUND!!!');
            } else {
                // Query executed with success
                alert('MATCH FOUND!!!');
            }
        },
        …

Answer 2

change

  {  alert('MATCH FOUND!!!');

to

    alert('MATCH FOUND!!!'); }