JetBrains/intellij-community · error · EvaluateException

Cannot create expression from code fragment.

Error message

Cannot create expression from code fragment.

What it means

Error "Cannot create expression from code fragment." thrown in JetBrains/intellij-community.

Source

Thrown at java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/impl/watch/EvaluationDescriptor.java:142

    catch (IndexNotReadyException ex) {
      throw new EvaluateException(JavaDebuggerBundle.message("evaluation.error.during.indexing"), ex);
    }
    catch (final EvaluateException ex) {
      throw new EvaluateException(ex.getLocalizedMessage(), ex);
    }
    catch (ObjectCollectedException ex) {
      throw EvaluateExceptionUtil.OBJECT_WAS_COLLECTED;
    }
  }

  @Override
  public PsiExpression getDescriptorEvaluation(DebuggerContext context) throws EvaluateException {
    PsiElement evaluationCode = getEvaluationCode(context);
    if (evaluationCode instanceof PsiExpressionCodeFragment) {
      return ((PsiExpressionCodeFragment)evaluationCode).getExpression();
    }
    else {
      throw new EvaluateException(JavaDebuggerBundle.message("error.cannot.create.expression.from.code.fragment"), null);
    }
  }

  @Override
  protected boolean isPrintExceptionToConsole() {
    return false;
  }

  public @Nullable Modifier getModifier() {
    return myModifier;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean canSetValue() {
    return super.canSetValue() && myModifier != null && myModifier.canSetValue();
  }

  public TextWithImports getEvaluationText() {

View on GitHub (pinned to be881553f2)

Solutions

1. Fix the code fragment so it parses as valid Java, then evaluate again.
2. Evaluate a simpler expression that does not require fragment construction.

Example fix

Remove the incomplete statement from Evaluate Expression and submit a complete expression.

When it happens

Trigger: The debugger cannot build an evaluatable expression from the entered code fragment.

Common situations: Incomplete or syntactically invalid code typed into Evaluate Expression.

AI-assisted analysis of JetBrains/intellij-community@be881553f2 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8b0bcfa9f72fc762. Report an issue: GitHub.