Struct syn::Error

pub struct Error { /* private fields */ }

Error returned when a Syn parser cannot parse the input tokens.

Error reporting in proc macros

The correct way to report errors back to the compiler from a procedural macro is by emitting an appropriately spanned invocation of compile_error! in the generated code. This produces a better diagnostic message than simply panicking the macro.

When parsing macro input, the parse_macro_input! macro handles the conversion to compile_error! automatically.

use proc_macro::TokenStream;
use syn::{parse_macro_input, AttributeArgs, ItemFn};

#[proc_macro_attribute]
pub fn my_attr(args: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
    let args = parse_macro_input!(args as AttributeArgs);
    let input = parse_macro_input!(input as ItemFn);

    /* ... */
}

For errors that arise later than the initial parsing stage, the .to_compile_error() or .into_compile_error() methods can be used to perform an explicit conversion to compile_error!.

#[proc_macro_derive(MyDerive)]
pub fn my_derive(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
    let input = parse_macro_input!(input as DeriveInput);

    // fn(DeriveInput) -> syn::Result<proc_macro2::TokenStream>
    expand::my_derive(input)
        .unwrap_or_else(syn::Error::into_compile_error)
        .into()
}

Implementations

impl Error

pub fn new<T: Display>(span: Span, message: T) -> Self

Usually the ParseStream::error method will be used instead, which automatically uses the correct span from the current position of the parse stream.

Use Error::new when the error needs to be triggered on some span other than where the parse stream is currently positioned.

Example

use syn::{Error, Ident, LitStr, Result, Token};
use syn::parse::ParseStream;

// Parses input that looks like `name = "string"` where the key must be
// the identifier `name` and the value may be any string literal.
// Returns the string literal.
fn parse_name(input: ParseStream) -> Result<LitStr> {
    let name_token: Ident = input.parse()?;
    if name_token != "name" {
        // Trigger an error not on the current position of the stream,
        // but on the position of the unexpected identifier.
        return Err(Error::new(name_token.span(), "expected `name`"));
    }
    input.parse::<Token![=]>()?;
    let s: LitStr = input.parse()?;
    Ok(s)
}

pub fn new_spanned<T: ToTokens, U: Display>(tokens: T, message: U) -> Self

Creates an error with the specified message spanning the given syntax tree node.

Unlike the Error::new constructor, this constructor takes an argument tokens which is a syntax tree node. This allows the resulting Error to attempt to span all tokens inside of tokens. While you would typically be able to use the Spanned trait with the above Error::new constructor, implementation limitations today mean that Error::new_spanned may provide a higher-quality error message on stable Rust.

When in doubt it’s recommended to stick to Error::new (or ParseStream::error)!

pub fn span(&self) -> Span

The source location of the error.

Spans are not thread-safe so this function returns Span::call_site() if called from a different thread than the one on which the Error was originally created.

pub fn to_compile_error(&self) -> TokenStream

Render the error as an invocation of compile_error!.

The parse_macro_input! macro provides a convenient way to invoke this method correctly in a procedural macro.

pub fn into_compile_error(self) -> TokenStream

Render the error as an invocation of compile_error!.

Example

use proc_macro::TokenStream;
use syn::{parse_macro_input, DeriveInput, Error};

#[proc_macro_derive(MyTrait)]
pub fn derive_my_trait(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
    let input = parse_macro_input!(input as DeriveInput);
    my_trait::expand(input)
        .unwrap_or_else(Error::into_compile_error)
        .into()
}

mod my_trait {
    use proc_macro2::TokenStream;
    use syn::{DeriveInput, Result};

    pub(crate) fn expand(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream> {
        /* ... */
    }
}

pub fn combine(&mut self, another: Error)

Add another error message to self such that when to_compile_error() is called, both errors will be emitted together.

Trait Implementations

impl Clone for Error

fn clone(&self) -> Self

Returns a copy of the value.

fn clone_from(&mut self, source: &Self)

Performs copy-assignment from source.

impl Debug for Error

fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.

impl Display for Error

fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.

impl Error for Error

fn source(&self) -> Option<&(dyn Error + 'static)>

The lower-level source of this error, if any.

fn backtrace(&self) -> Option<&Backtrace>

🔬 This is a nightly-only experimental API. (backtrace)

Returns a stack backtrace, if available, of where this error occurred.

fn description(&self) -> &str

👎 Deprecated since 1.42.0:

use the Display impl or to_string()

fn cause(&self) -> Option<&dyn Error>

👎 Deprecated since 1.33.0:

replaced by Error::source, which can support downcasting

impl Extend<Error> for Error

fn extend<T: IntoIterator<Item = Error>>(&mut self, iter: T)

Extends a collection with the contents of an iterator.

fn extend_one(&mut self, item: A)

🔬 This is a nightly-only experimental API. (extend_one)

Extends a collection with exactly one element.

fn extend_reserve(&mut self, additional: usize)

🔬 This is a nightly-only experimental API. (extend_one)

Reserves capacity in a collection for the given number of additional elements.

impl From<LexError> for Error

fn from(err: LexError) -> Self

Converts to this type from the input type.

impl IntoIterator for Error

type Item = Error

The type of the elements being iterated over.

type IntoIter = IntoIter

Which kind of iterator are we turning this into?

fn into_iter(self) -> Self::IntoIter

Creates an iterator from a value.

impl<'a> IntoIterator for &'a Error

type Item = Error

The type of the elements being iterated over.

type IntoIter = Iter<'a>

Which kind of iterator are we turning this into?

fn into_iter(self) -> Self::IntoIter

Creates an iterator from a value.