KB: Resolving the "semicolon expected at Line" error

Solution Details

Users may encounter the error message “; expected at Line: ...” while opening a PCB file, working within the PCB editor, or saving the Constraint Manager in Altium Designer. This error typically indicates a syntax issue in a custom query within the Design Rules or Constraint Manager.

The error is caused by a malformed custom query in one of the design rules. Since these rules are evaluated during PCB operations, any syntax error in a query can trigger this popup.

Resolution Steps

For Design Rule Editor

• Navigate to Design » Rules.
• Click on Design Rules (top-left) to load all rules.
• Identify rules that use custom queries.
• Open the rule and click Test Queries to identify the faulty rule.
• Use the Query Helper:
  • Click Query Helper.
  • Click Check Syntax to validate the query.

For Constraint Manager

• Go to Design » Constraint Manager.
• Click All Rules to load all constraints.
• Locate rules with custom queries.
• Open the rule and click the three-dot menu next to the query.
• Select Open Query Helper.
• Click Check Syntax to verify the query.

References:

• The Query Helper