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1---
2default_highlighter: oils-sh
3---
4
5Oils Error Catalog, With Hints
6==================
7
8This doc lists errors from Oils (both [OSH]($xref) and [YSH]($xref)), with
9hints to help you fix them.
10
11Each error is associated with a code like `OILS-ERR-42`, a string that search
12engines should find.
13
14<!--
15Later, we could have a URL shortener, like https://oils.err/42
16-->
17
18<div id="toc">
19</div>
20
21## How to Contribute
22
23If you see an error that you don't understand:
24
251. Ask a question on `#oil-help` on [Zulip]($xref:zulip). What's the problem,
26 and what's the solution?
271. Then `grep` the source code for the confusing error message. Tag it with a
28 string like `OILS-ERR-43`, picking a new number according to the conventions
29 below.
301. Add a tagged section below, with hints and explanations.
31 - Quote the error message. You may want copy and paste from the output of
32 `doc/error-catalog.sh`, or
33 `test/{parse,runtime,ysh-parse,ysh-runtime}-errors.sh`. Add an HTML
34 comment `<!-- -->` about that.
35 - Link to relevant sections in the [**Oils Reference**](ref/index.html).
361. Optionally, add your name to the acknowledgements list at the end of this
37 doc.
38
39Note that error messages are **hard** to write, because a single error could
40result from many different user **intentions**!
41
42### To Preview this Doc
43
44Right now I use this command:
45
46 build/doc.sh split-and-render doc/error-catalog.md
47
48Then paste this into your browser:
49
50 file:///home/andy/git/oilshell/oil/_release/VERSION/doc/error-catalog.html
51
52(Replace with your home dir)
53
54## Parse Errors - Rejected Input
55
56Roughly speaking, a parse error means that text input was **rejected**, so the
57shell didn't try to do anything.
58
59Examples:
60
61 echo ) # Shell syntax error
62
63 type -z # -z flag not accepted
64
65These error codes start at `10`.
66
67### OILS-ERR-10
68
69<!--
70Generated with:
71test/ysh-parse-errors.sh test-func-var-checker
72-->
73
74```
75 setvar x = true
76 ^
77[ -c flag ]:3: setvar couldn't find matching 'var x' (OILS-ERR-10)
78```
79
80- Did you forget to declare the name with the [var](ref/chap-ysh-cmd.html#var)
81 keyword?
82- Did you mean to use the [setglobal](ref/chap-ysh-cmd.html#setglobal)
83 keyword?
84
85Related help topics:
86
87- [setvar](ref/chap-ysh-cmd.html#setvar)
88
89### OILS-ERR-11
90
91<!--
92Generated with:
93test/ysh-parse-errors.sh ysh_c_strings (this may move)
94-->
95
96```
97 echo $'\z'
98 ^
99[ -c flag ]:1: Invalid char escape in C-style string literal (OILS-ERR-11)
100```
101
102- Did you mean `$'\\z'`? Backslashes must be escaped in `$''` and `u''` and
103 `b''` strings.
104- Did you mean something like `$'\n'`? Only valid escapes are accepted in YSH.
105
106Related help topics:
107
108- [osh-string](ref/chap-word-lang.html#osh-string) (word language)
109- [ysh-string](ref/chap-expr-lang.html#ysh-string) (expression language)
110
111### OILS-ERR-12
112
113<!--
114Generated with:
115test/ysh-parse-errors.sh ysh_dq_strings (this may move)
116-->
117
118```
119 echo "\z"
120 ^
121[ -c flag ]:1: Invalid char escape in double quoted string (OILS-ERR-12)
122```
123
124- Did you mean `"\\z"`? Backslashes must be escaped in double-quoted strings.
125- Did you mean something like `"\$"`? Only valid escapes are accepted in YSH.
126- Did you to use single quotes, like `u'\n'` rather than `u"\n"`?
127
128Related help topics:
129
130- [osh-string](ref/chap-word-lang.html#osh-string) (word language)
131- [ysh-string](ref/chap-expr-lang.html#ysh-string) (expression language)
132
133### OILS-ERR-13
134
135<!--
136Generated with:
137test/ysh-parse-errors.sh ysh_bare_words (this may move)
138-->
139
140```
141 echo \z
142 ^~
143[ -c flag ]:1: Invalid char escape in unquoted word (OILS-ERR-13)
144```
145
146- Did you mean `\\z`? Backslashes must be escaped in unquoted words.
147- Did you mean something like `\$`? Only valid escapes are accepted in YSH.
148
149### OILS-ERR-14
150
151<!--
152Generated with:
153test/ysh-parse-errors.sh test-parse-dparen
154-->
155
156```
157 if ((1 > 0 && 43 > 42)); then echo yes; fi
158 ^~
159[ -c flag ]:1: Bash (( not allowed in YSH (parse_dparen, see OILS-ERR-14 for wart)
160```
161
162Two likely causes:
163
164- Do you need to rewrite bash arithmetic as YSH arithmetic (which is
165 Python-like)?
166- Do you need to work around an [unfortunate wart](warts.html#two-left-parens-should-be-separated-by-space) in YSH?
167
168Examples:
169
170 if (1 > 0 and 43 > 42) { # YSH-style
171 echo yes
172 }
173
174 if ( (x + 1) < n) { # space between ( ( avoids ((
175 echo yes
176 }
177
178### OILS-ERR-15
179
180```
181 if (a || b && c) {
182 ^~
183[ -c flag ]:2: Use 'or' in expression mode (OILS-ERR-15)
184```
185
186Expression mode uses `not or and`, rather than `! || &&`. See [Command vs.
187Expression Mode](command-vs-expression-mode.html) for details.
188
189
190No:
191
192 if (!a || b && c) {
193 echo no
194 }
195
196Yes:
197
198 if (not a or b and c) {
199 echo yes
200 }
201
202
203Command mode is the opposite; it uses `! || &&`, rather than `not or and`:
204
205No:
206
207 # Command mode
208 if not test --dir a or test --dir b and test --dir c {
209 echo no
210 }
211
212Yes:
213
214 # Command mode
215 if ! test --dir a || test --dir b && test --dir c {
216 echo yes
217 }
218
219### OILS-ERR-16
220
221```
222 for x in (1 .. 5) {
223 ^~
224[ -c flag ]:1: Use ..< for half-open range, or ..= for closed range (OILS-ERR-16)
225```
226
227<!--
228Similar to
229test/ysh-parse-errors.sh test-expr-range
230-->
231
232There are two ways to construct a [Range](ref/chap-expr-lang#range). The `..<`
233operator is for half-open ranges and the `..=` operator is for closed ranges:
234
235 for i in (0 ..< 3) {
236 echo $i
237 }
238 => 0
239 => 1
240 => 2
241
242 for i in (0 ..= 3) {
243 echo $i
244 }
245 => 0
246 => 1
247 => 2
248 => 3
249
250## Runtime Errors - Traditional Shell
251
252These errors may occur in shells like [bash]($xref) and [zsh]($xref).
253
254They're numbered starting from `100`. (If we have more than 90 parse errors,
255we can start a new section, like `300`.)
256
257### OILS-ERR-100
258
259<!--
260Generated with:
261test/runtime-errors.sh test-command-not-found
262-->
263
264```
265 findz
266 ^~~~~
267[ -c flag ]:1: 'findz' not found (OILS-ERR-100)
268```
269
270- Did you misspell a command name?
271- Did you misspell a shell function or a YSH `proc`?
272- Is the file in your `$PATH`? The `PATH` variable is a colon-separated list
273 of directories, where executable files may live.
274- Is `findz` file executable bit set? (`chmod +x`)
275
276### OILS-ERR-101
277
278<!--
279Generated with:
280test/runtime-errors.sh test-assoc-array
281-->
282
283Let's look at **three** instances of this error.
284
285```
286 declare -A assoc; assoc[x]=1
287 ^~~~~~
288[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Assoc array keys must be strings: $x 'x' "$x" etc. (OILS-ERR-101)
289```
290
291- Is `x` a string? Then add quotes: `assoc['x']=1`
292- Is `x` a variable? Then write: `assoc[$x]=1`
293
294---
295
296Same idea here:
297
298```
299 declare -A assoc; echo ${assoc[x]}
300 ^
301[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Assoc array keys must be strings: $x 'x' "$x" etc. (OILS-ERR-101)
302```
303
304- Is `x` a string? Then add quotes: `${assoc['x']}`
305- Is `x` a variable? Then write: `${assoc[$x]}`
306
307---
308
309The third example is **tricky** because `unset` takes a **string**. There's an
310extra level of parsing, which:
311
312- Implies an extra level of quoting
313- Causes OSH to display the following **nested** error message
314
315```
316 assoc[k]
317 ^
318[ dynamic LHS word at line 1 of [ -c flag ] ]:1
319
320 declare -A assoc; key=k; unset "assoc[$key]"
321 ^
322[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Assoc array keys must be strings: $x 'x' "$x" etc. (OILS-ERR-101)
323```
324
325To fix it, consider using **single quotes**:
326
327 unset 'assoc[$key]'
328
329---
330
331- This is the error in [Parsing Bash is
332 Undecidable](https://www.oilshell.org/blog/2016/10/20.html) (2016)
333- Also mentioned in [Known Differences](known-differences.html)
334
335
336## Runtime Errors - Oils and YSH
337
338These errors don't occur in shells like [bash]($xref) and [zsh]($xref).
339
340They may involve Python-like **expressions** and **typed data**.
341
342They're numbered starting from `200`.
343
344### OILS-ERR-200
345
346<!--
347Generated with:
348test/runtime-errors.sh test-external_cmd_typed_args
349-->
350
351```
352 cat ("myfile")
353 ^
354[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: 'cat' appears to be external. External commands don't accept typed args (OILS-ERR-200)
355```
356
357- Builtin commands and user-defined procs may accept [typed
358 args](ref/chap-cmd-lang.html#typed-arg), but external commands never do.
359- Did you misspell a [YSH proc](ref/chap-cmd-lang.html#proc-def)? If a name is
360 not found, YSH assumes it's an external command.
361- Did you forget to source a file that contains the proc or shell function you
362 wanted to run?
363
364### OILS-ERR-201
365
366<!--
367Generated with:
368test/runtime-errors.sh test-arith_ops_str
369-->
370
371```
372 = "age: " + "100"
373 ^
374[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Binary operator expected numbers, got Str and Str (OILS-ERR-201)
375
376 = 100 + myvar
377 ^
378[ -c flag ]:2: fatal: Binary operator expected numbers, got Int and Str (OILS-ERR-201)
379```
380
381- Did you mean to use `++` to concatenate strings/lists?
382- The arithmetic operators [can coerce string operands to
383 numbers](ref/chap-expr-lang.html#ysh-arith). However, if you are operating on
384 user provided input, it may be a better idea to first parse that input with
385 [`int()`](ref/chap-builtin-func.html#int) or
386 [`float()`](ref/chap-builtin-func.html#float).
387
388### OILS-ERR-202
389
390<!--
391Generated with:
392test/ysh-runtime-errors.sh test-float-equality
393-->
394
395```
396 pp (42.0 === x)
397 ^~~
398[ -c flag ]:3: fatal: Equality isn't defined on Float values (OILS-ERR-202)
399```
400
401Floating point numbers shouldn't be tested for equality. Alternatives:
402
403 = abs(42.0 - x) < 0.1
404 = floatEquals(42.0, x)
405
406### OILS-ERR-203
407
408<!--
409Generated with:
410test/ysh-runtime-errors.sh test-cannot-stringify-list
411-->
412
413```
414 var mylist = [1,2,3]; write $[mylist]
415 ^~
416[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Expr sub got a List, which can't be stringified (OILS-ERR-203)
417```
418
419- Did you mean to use `@mylist` instead of `$mylist`?
420- Did you mean to use `@[myfunc()]` instead of `$[myfunc()]`?
421- Did you mean `$[join(mylist)]`?
422
423Or:
424
425- Do you have an element that can't be stringified in a list, like `['good',
426 {bad: true}]`?
427
428
429<!-- TODO -->
430
431## Runtime Errors: `strict:all`
432
433### OILS-ERR-300
434
435```
436 if ! ls | wc -l; then echo failed; fi
437 ^
438[ -c flag ]:1: fatal: Command conditionals should only have one status, not Pipeline (strict_errexit, OILS-ERR-300)
439```
440
441Compound commands can't be used as conditionals because it's ambiguous.
442
443It confuses true/false with pass/fail. What if part of the pipeline fails?
444What if `ls` doesn't exist?
445
446This YSH idiom is more explicit:
447
448 try {
449 ls | wc -l
450 }
451 if failed {
452 echo failed
453 }
454
455## Appendix
456
457### Kinds of Errors from Oils
458
459- Runtime errors (status 1) - the shell tried to do something, but failed.
460 - Example: `echo hi > /does/not/exist`
461- Parse errors and builtin usage errors (status 2) - input rejected, so the
462 shell didn't try to do anything.
463- Uncaught I/O errors (status 2)
464- Expression errors (status 3)
465- User errors from the `error` builtin (status 10 is default)
466
467### Contributors
468
469(If you updated this doc, feel free to add your name to the end of this list.)
470