LastError

Returns the message of the error that compiling the current pattern raised.

Syntax: object.LastError

object

required An object expression that evaluates to a RegExp.

Returns a String: the description of the compile error, or an empty string when the pattern is valid.

Remarks

The property compiles the pattern if it has not been compiled since Pattern or IgnoreCase last changed. The compilation traps its error, so LastError raises nothing, but the error stays in the Err object (see IsValid). The text is a sentence that names the fault, such as Unterminated character class: a ‘[’ without a matching ‘]’. for the pattern [abc. LastErrorNumber is the number of the error and lists the faults.

Execute, Test, Replace and Split raise an error with this description when the pattern is invalid.

Example

Dim re As RegExp
Set re = New RegExp
re.Pattern = "(\d+)"
Debug.Print Len(re.LastError)  ' 0

re.Pattern = "(\d+"
Debug.Print re.IsValid         ' False
Debug.Print Len(re.LastError) > 0  ' True

re.Pattern = "[abc"
Debug.Print re.LastError           ' Unterminated character class: a '[' without a matching ']'.

On Error Resume Next
re.Test "123"
Debug.Print Err.Description = re.LastError  ' True

See Also

• LastErrorNumber property – the number of the compile error
• IsValid property – whether the pattern compiles
• Pattern property – the regular expression
• RegExp class – overview