(using the -Se 10 switch)

Compiling C:\Users\martin\AppData\Local\Temp\syn\project1.lpr
project1.lpr(9,5) Error: Illegal expression
project1.lpr(9,5) Fatal: Syntax error, "EXCEPT" expected but "identifier
WRITELN" found

The illegal expression is ok.
But why saying that "Except" was expected? Imho that is misleading, since the source can continue with anything else here

Is that something that would be worth a report in mantis, in order to improve error msgs?

program Project1;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
var a: Integer;
begin
   try
     writeln();
     a
     writeln();
   finally
   end;
end.

Martin wrote

The illegal expression is ok. But why saying that "Except" was expected? Imho that is misleading, since the source can continue with anything else here

I can only assume the following:

Before an "except" or a "finally" the ";" is optional (like in every(?) block). Thus after a statement without a ";" either a "finally" or an "except" is expected and the compiler simply assumes that it's in a "try...except" block first. Or it's just because "except" is declared before "finally" in the token array which is kept ordered by token length first and lexicographically second.

Regards,
Sven

Ah that makes sense (the semicolon part).

indeed I was not bothered if it is except or finally...

Thanks