BurntSushi/ripgrep

improve error messages when -f flag fails

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#478 opened on May 9, 2017

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 (9 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (63,768 stars) (2,559 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

For example:

$ rg -e foo -f src/search_stream.rs 
Error parsing regex near 'fer.|*/|z{' at character offset 213: Invalid application of repetition operator to: '(?u:f)(?u:o)(?u:o)|(?u:/)*(?u:!)|(?u:T)(?u:h)(?u:e)

Aside from the badly formatted regex error message (see #395), the error message should show the file path and probably also the line number at which the error occurred.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
clideveloper experience
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Rustfamiliarity with ripgrep's error handling
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Investigate the error handling in ripgrep's regex parsing, particularly in the handling of the f flag. Look at the error formatting code in the regex module (e.g., src/regex.rs) to identify where regex errors are generated and how to attach file path and line number. Consider the existing patterns for error messages, and ensure the new format is consistent. Review issue #395 for context on badly formatted regex error messages.