need help First timer with pyparsing

[asri]

how do i parse a simple expression as below

<identifier> = ('<singlequotedstring>', literal,'<singlequotedstring>', literal,…) it can only end in '<singlequotedstring>'

[Paul McGuire]

Looks like:

identifier + '=' + singleQuotedString + ZeroOrMore(literal + singleQuotedString)

[asri]

Thanks Paul. This works.
Additionally is there a way that the parse exception can show little more information.

The message is clear but is there a way to add more information.

Existing: ParseException: Expected ")" (at char 48), (line:1, col:49)
Modified: ParseException: Expected ")" but found "OR" (at char 48), (line:1, col:49)

[Paul McGuire]

You can output your own diagnostics using properties of the ParseException that is raised:

>>> from pyparsing import *
>>> identifier = Word(alphas)
>>> singleQuotedString = sglQuotedString
>>> literal = ","
>>> expr = identifier + '=' + singleQuotedString + ZeroOrMore(literal + singleQuotedString)
>>> try:
...    expr.parseString('xyz = 123')
... except ParseException as pe:
...    exc = pe
...
>>> print(exc)
Expected string enclosed in single quotes (at char 6), (line:1, col:7)
>>> dir(exc)
['__repr__', '__str__', 'col', 'line', 'lineno', 'loc', 'markInputline', 'msg', 'parserElement', 'pstr']
>>> print(exc.col)
7
>>> print (exc.line)
xyz = 123
>>> print (exc.msg + '\n' + exc.line + '\n' + ' '*(exc.col-1) + '^')
Expected string enclosed in single quotes
xyz = 123
      ^

(Urgh! there is a bug in markInputline, which would normally simplify this process - well until I ship a fix, you can use this method as a workaround.)