2.6.1 Syntax Errors

A syntax error is raised while the parser traverses the concrete syntax tree (CST). It is a token the grammar cannot place.


Code family	`VBC`, range `VBC00001`–`VBC00999`
Title	Syntax error
Raised by	the parser (concrete syntax tree)
Source metadata	VBSyntaxErrorInfo; its `ErrorId` is a VBCompileErrorId
Severity	`Error`
Detail	the faulted token and its expected role, on `Diagnostic.data`

Syntax and Semantic Compilation Errors

MS-VBAL does not distinguish a compile-time error raised in CST semantics from one raised in AST semantics. RDCore splits CST-semantics (syntax) errors and AST-semantics (semantic compilation) errors by numeric range only.

Every VBCompileErrorId value below 9300 belongs to the parser; [9300..] is reserved for semantic compilation errors. Errors issued from the parser are normally syntax errors with a VBCompileErrorId value between 42 and 999; see RD-VBAL §1.1.4 Core Diagnostics.

Conditions that need symbol information (an undefined name, a duplicate declaration) are not syntax errors. They are reported later, as semantic compilation errors.

Fallback and Dedicated Codes

VBC00001 is the general syntax-error fallback code: when the input is invalid and no more specific code applies, the parser reports VBC00001.

The parser narrows its output: recurring syntax-error shapes are promoted to a dedicated code in the VBC00042–VBC00999 range.

A numeric literal whose value does not fit its type is the NumericLiteralOverflow syntax error (VBC00042), located at the literal. This includes a literal whose value does not fit its suffix-forced type, a floating-point literal that overflows to infinity, and an unsuffixed radix literal beyond 32 bits; see RD-VBAL §3.2.0 Literal Expressions.

Conditional Compilation

Note

Not implemented. A #If that splits a single statement across conditional-compilation branches (#If / #Else / #End If) is unparseable by the RD-VBA grammar. Such a statement reports located VBC diagnostics (VBC00001), which a client can anchor to a source range.

Published Codes

Code	Title	Condition
`VBC00001`	Syntax error	a token the grammar cannot place
`VBC00042`	Numeric literal overflow	a numeric literal outside the range of its type