3.4.0 Statements

A statement is an executable unit inside a member's body. Every statement node derives StatementNode, which implements IExecutableNode — its Inputs are the expressions evaluated immediately before the statement executes. A block statement's nested statements are held in a StatementBlock, independent of Inputs.

Note

This page catalogs the AST shape the parser produces — it does not describe static or runtime semantics (coercion, error conditions, control flow). Those belong to the resolver and the interpreter, and are out of scope here.

3.4.1 Block Statements

Every block statement follows the same shape: its header condition(s)/expression(s) are named properties, and its nested statements are a Body: StatementBlock — a deliberate consistency across the whole family (MS-VBAL §5.4.2's block-statement group), rather than an undifferentiated children list.

Statement Node type(s) MS-VBAL
If...Then...ElseIf...Else...End If IfBlockStatementNode, ElseIfBlockStatementNode, ElseBlockStatementNode §5.4.2.8
While...Wend WhileWendStatementNode §5.4.2.2
For...Next ForStatementNode §5.4.2.3
For Each...Next ForEachStatementNode §5.4.2.4
Do...Loop (5 header shapes: bare, Do While/Loop, Do Until/Loop, Do/Loop While, Do/Loop Until) DoLoopStatementNode, DoWhileLoopStatementNode, DoUntilLoopStatementNode, DoLoopWhileStatementNode, DoLoopUntilStatementNode §5.4.2.6
Select Case...End Select SelectCaseStatementNode, CaseExpressionStatementNode, CaseElseClauseStatementNode §5.4.2.10
With...End With WithStatementNode §5.4.2.21
Single-line If...Then...Else InlineIfStatementNode — ThenBody/ElseBody may hold several colon-separated statements instead of a full block §5.4.2.9

Each Case line's comma-separated conditions are its own small hierarchy under the abstract CaseRangeClauseNode: a single value (CaseValueRangeClauseNode, e.g. Case 5), a comparison (CaseComparisonRangeClauseNode, e.g. Case Is > 5), or an inclusive range (CaseToRangeClauseNode, e.g. Case 1 To 10) — all three independently, per MS-VBAL §5.4.2.10.

Tip

A bare line-number target in either branch (If x Then 100) is not modeled as its own shape — MS-VBAL specifies it as equivalent to a GoTo statement targeting that line, so the parser synthesizes a real GoToStatementNode as that branch's (typically only) statement instead.

3.4.2 Simple Statements

Statement Node type MS-VBAL
Call / bare call CallStatementNode §5.4.2.1
Let assignment ([Let] lExpression = expression) AssignmentStatementNode (Kind: ImplicitLet/ExplicitLet) §5.4.3.8
Set assignment AssignmentStatementNode (Kind: Set) §5.4.3.9
ReDim [Preserve] RedimDeclarationNode — modeled as a declaration, not a statement, since it declares/resizes storage §5.4.3.3
Erase KeywordStatementNode (Token: Erase) §5.4.3.4
Name...As KeywordStatementNode (Token: Name) — (not a MS-VBAL-numbered statement)
RaiseEvent KeywordStatementNode (Token: RaiseEvent) §5.4.2.20
Stop KeywordStatementNode (Token: Stop) §5.4.2.11
End KeywordStatementNode (Token: End) — (not a MS-VBAL-numbered statement)
Exit Do/Exit For/Exit Sub/Exit Function/Exit Property KeywordStatementNode (Token: "Exit Do"/"Exit For"/"Exit Sub"/"Exit Function"/"Exit Property") §5.4.2.7/.5/.17/.18/.19
GoTo GoToStatementNode §5.4.2.12
GoSub GoSubStatementNode §5.4.2.14
Return ReturnStatementNode §5.4.2.15
On Error GoTo <label> OnErrorGoToStatementNode §5.4.4.1
On Error Resume Next OnErrorResumeStatementNode — the same grammar rule as On Error GoTo, disambiguated by which keyword follows §5.4.4.1
Bare Resume, Resume <label> ResumeStatementNode (LabelExpression nullable) §5.4.4.2
Resume Next ResumeNextStatementNode — its own node, not ResumeStatementNode with a "Next" label §5.4.4.2
Error # ErrorStatementNode §5.4.4.3

Assignment's Target is always an lExpression — see RD-VBAL §3.0.2 for the shared expression family it draws from (member access, index, dictionary access, a bare name). Statement labels and line numbers themselves are captured separately (LineLabelNode/ LineNumberNode) — a GoTo/GoSub's own target is just an expression naming or numbering one, with no static link between the two.

Note

Computed On...GoTo/On...GoSub (§5.4.2.13/.16) have no node type at all yet — not yet requested.

Note

Mid/Mid$/LSet/RSet (§5.4.3.5/.6/.7) are assignment-shaped statements with no node type yet — unblocked now that a real lExpression exists as their left-hand side, but not yet built.

3.4.3 File Statements

MS-VBAL groups file I/O under one umbrella, §5.4.5 File Statements.

Statement Node type MS-VBAL
Open OpenStatementNode — Mode/Access/Lock are keyword choices (VBFileMode, VBFileAccessMode, VBFileLockMode), not expressions §5.4.5.1
Close, Reset KeywordStatementNode (Token: Close/Reset) §5.4.5.2
Seek KeywordStatementNode (Token: Seek) §5.4.5.3
Lock, Unlock KeywordStatementNode (Token: Lock/Unlock) §5.4.5.4/.5
Line Input # KeywordStatementNode (Token: LineInput) §5.4.5.6
Width # KeywordStatementNode (Token: Width) §5.4.5.7
Print #, Debug.Print PrintStatementNode (Token: Print) for the file-number form, ObjectPrintExpressionNode for the object-qualified form (Owner.Print, e.g. Debug.Print) §5.4.5.8
Write # PrintStatementNode (Token: Write) §5.4.5.9
Input # KeywordStatementNode (Token: Input) §5.4.5.10
Put # KeywordStatementNode (Token: Put) §5.4.5.11
Get # KeywordStatementNode (Token: Get) §5.4.5.12

PrintStatementNode/ObjectPrintExpressionNode share an output-list shape: PrintOutputItemNode (a value and/or a ;/, separator), PrintSpcClauseNode, PrintTabClauseNode.

Tip

A value and its trailing separator are always two separate, alternating PrintOutputItemNodes (one value-only, one separator-only) — MS-VBAL's outputItem grammar rule admits combining them into one node, but the generated parser never actually takes that alternative. Any consumer of Items should walk the alternating list rather than assume (value, separator) pairs.

Note

The ? shorthand for Print has no lexer/grammar token at all in the current grammar — adding it is a lexer-level change, riskier and different in kind from AST/listener work, and is deliberately deferred.

⏮️ RD-VBAL §3.3 Operators | ⏭️ RD-VBAL §4.0 Program Structure

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