Improve error message for $?

1 files changed, 6 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/expand.cpp b/expand.cpp
index 26b6e2d5..2824b954 100644
--- a/expand.cpp
+++ b/expand.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ parameter expansion.
 #define COMPLETE_VAR_DESC _( L"The '$' character begins a variable name. The character '%lc', which directly followed a '$', is not allowed as a part of a variable name, and variable names may not be zero characters long. To learn more about variable expansion in fish, type 'help expand-variable'.")
 
 /**
+   Error issued on $?
+*/
+#define COMPLETE_YOU_WANT_STATUS _( L"$? is not a valid variable in fish. If you want the exit status of the last command, try $status.")
+
+/**
    Error issued on invalid variable name
 */
 #define COMPLETE_VAR_NULL_DESC _( L"The '$' begins a variable name. It was given at the end of an argument. Variable names may not be zero characters long. To learn more about variable expansion in fish, type 'help expand-variable'.")
@@ -724,7 +729,7 @@ void expand_variable_error( parser_t &parser, const wchar_t *token, int token_po
             
 			parser.error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
 				   error_pos,
-				   COMPLETE_VAR_DESC,
+				   (token_stop_char == L'?' ? COMPLETE_YOU_WANT_STATUS : COMPLETE_VAR_DESC),
 				   token_stop_char );
 			break;
 		}