Improve errors messages in f-string syntax errors

[macgors]

BPO	47129
Nosy	@ericvsmith, @lysnikolaou, @pablogsal, @macgors
PRs	bpo-47129: Add more informative messages to f-string syntax errors #32127

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/ericvsmith'
closed_at = <Date 2022-03-28.21:09:44.786>
created_at = <Date 2022-03-26.15:08:27.680>
labels = ['interpreter-core', 'type-bug']
title = 'Improve errors messages in f-string syntax errors'
updated_at = <Date 2022-03-28.21:12:40.376>
user = 'https://github.com/macgors'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2022-03-28.21:12:40.376>
actor = 'macgors'
assignee = 'eric.smith'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2022-03-28.21:09:44.786>
closer = 'eric.smith'
components = ['Parser']
creation = <Date 2022-03-26.15:08:27.680>
creator = 'macgors'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 47129
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 9.0
messages = ['416069', '416075', '416077', '416095', '416127', '416128', '416215', '416216', '416217']
nosy_count = 4.0
nosy_names = ['eric.smith', 'lys.nikolaou', 'pablogsal', 'macgors']
pr_nums = ['32127']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue47129'
versions = []

[macgors]

When an empty expression is provided in curly brackets inside an f-string we get Syntax Error: "f-string: empty expression not allowed".

This is correct, however error with the same message is raised in the following cases: f"{!foo}", f"{!}", f"{:bar}", f"{=}", etc.
For example, should someone make an error and try to negate an expression with '!' instead of 'not' (i.e. f"{!True}"), they would get a confusing error, saying that the expression is empty, when it isn't.

I propose we raise an error with the message: "f-string: optional specifier '%c' must follow a non-empty expression.

[ericvsmith]

I'm not convinced this is an improvement. I don't think someone trying '!' in an f-string expression happens often enough to worry about that specific error message.

And a generic "optional specifier" isn't great. If we're going to do this, it should reflect the actual thing that's present: a conversion specifier, a format specifier, or debug specifier. And "optional" doesn't add anything, since it's actually present in this string.

I'll give it some more thought. I can't come up with an error message I actually like. The focus still needs to be on the empty expression.

[macgors]

Understandable. In this case I can maybe propose something along the lines of "f-string: empty expression not allowed (Conversion specifier '!' can only follow non-empty expressions)", and so on for each of the specifiers.

This way the original message is still present and we just add some more information. I'm open to any of your ideas.

[ericvsmith]

From a suggestion by @jelle on the python discord server: how about just "f-string: expression required before '!'"?

[lysnikolaou]

I like the newest suggestion by @jelle better as well.

[macgors]

I agree as well. I will change it to the new version :) Thanks for your input in this.

[ericvsmith]

New changeset 7b44ade by Maciej Górski in branch 'main':
bpo-47129: Add more informative messages to f-string syntax errors (32127)
7b44ade

[ericvsmith]

Thanks, @macgors!

[macgors]

Thanks for helping me with my very first python contribution! @eric.smith @lys.nikolaou