# Parsing one line try catch
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** parser
**Created:** [August 21, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756 "2025-08-21T17:24:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@GHTaarn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GHTaarn)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/1 "2025-08-21T17:24:00Z")
I was surprised that the following line does not parse:
```julia-repl
_
_ _ _(_)_ | Documentation: https://docs.julialang.org
(_) | (_) (_) |
_ _ _| |_ __ _ | Type "?" for help, "]?" for Pkg help.
| | | | | | |/ _` | |
| | |_| | | | (_| | | Version 1.11.6 (2025-07-09)
_/ |\ __'_|_|_|\__'_| | Official https://julialang.org/ release
|__/ |
julia> try 1 catch e1 (-Inf) end
ERROR: ParseError:
# Error @ REPL[1]:1:12
try 1 catch e1 (-Inf) end
# └────────┘ ── a variable name is expected after `catch`
Stacktrace:
[1] top-level scope
@ none:1
julia>
```
Can anyone explain why this fails and what would be the best working alternative? My best working alternative so far is:
```julia
try 1 catch e1 Inf * (-1) end
```
I would prefer a one line solution.
---
### Author:  [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/2 "2025-08-21T17:50:59Z")
> [@GHTaarn](#):
>
> I would prefer a one line solution.
You can just use semicolons:
```julia-auto
julia> try 1; catch e1; (-Inf); end
1
```
---
### Author:  [@mikmoore](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mikmoore)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/3 "2025-08-21T17:51:37Z")
Use semicolons to separate statements if you don’t want literal line breaks
```julia
julia> try 1; catch e1; -Inf; end
1
julia> try error(); catch e1; -Inf; end
-Inf
```
_EDIT: too slow_
---
### Author:  [@JonasWickman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JonasWickman)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/4 "2025-08-21T17:57:10Z")
I had a vague memory of most control-flow blocks in Julia requiring new-line or `;` to work, but the following works fine (julia v1.11.6):
```julia-auto
if true print("true") else print("false") end
for x in 1:3 println("hello") end
```
Not sure if there is some specific reason that the try-catch block specifically does not behave the same.
---
### Author:  [@mikmoore](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mikmoore)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/5 "2025-08-21T19:08:31Z")
> [@JonasWickman](#):
>
> Not sure if there is some specific reason that the try-catch block specifically does not behave the same.
The issue is when there is parsing ambiguity on where one expression ends and another begins:
```julia-repl
julia> for x in 1:3 x |> println end
1
2
3
julia> for x in 1:3 +x |> println end # parse as `for x in (1:(3+x) |> println) end`
ERROR: UndefVarError: `x` not defined in `Main`
julia> x = 4;
julia> for x in 1:3 +x |> println end # parse as `for x in (1:(3+x) |> println) end`
1:7
ERROR: MethodError: no method matching iterate(::Nothing)
```
---
### Author:  [@GHTaarn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GHTaarn)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2025, 4:03am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/parsing-one-line-try-catch/131756/6 "2025-08-22T04:03:01Z")
For it to make sense in the OP, not just ambiguous statements but also “too close for comfort” statements are not allowed, because
```julia-repl
julia> e1 (-Inf)
ERROR: ParseError:
# Error @ REPL[8]:1:3
e1 (-Inf)
# ╙ ── whitespace is not allowed here
Stacktrace:
[1] top-level scope
@ none:1
julia>
```
is not ambiguous.
Whatever the reason, using semicolon is a good solution, it even allows making the statement shorter:
```julia
try 1 catch; -Inf end
```