P0012¶

Code: P0012
Message: Character string literal contains an escape that is not defined

This error occurs when a character string literal contains a $ escape that IEC 61131-3 does not define. The $ character starts an escape, so a literal dollar sign is written $$.

The compiler stores the characters a literal denotes, not the text of the literal: '$41' is the one character A. An escape the standard does not define has no character to store, so rather than guess, the compiler reports it.

The defined escapes are $$, $L, $N, $P, $R and $T (in either case), $' and $", and a character code: $ and two hex digits in a STRING literal, $ and four hex digits in a WSTRING literal.

Example¶

The following code will generate error P0012:

PROGRAM main
VAR
    price : STRING;
END_VAR
    price := 'costs $5';  (* Error: $5 is not an escape *)
END_PROGRAM

To fix this error, escape the dollar sign:

PROGRAM main
VAR
    price : STRING;
END_VAR
    price := 'costs $$5';
END_PROGRAM

A character code has two hex digits in a STRING literal and four in a WSTRING literal, so the following is also an error:

PROGRAM main
VAR
    euro : WSTRING;
END_VAR
    euro := "$AC";  (* Error: a WSTRING code needs four hex digits *)
END_PROGRAM

Write "$20AC" instead.

P0012¶

Example¶

See Also¶