## Syntax
```mermaid
%%{init: {
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'flowchart': { 'padding': '7', 'nodeSpacing': '20', 'rankSpacing': '20' },
'themeVariables': {
'fontSize': '11px',
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flowchart LR
Start((START)) --> SQLERRM[SQLERRM]:::quoted
SQLERRM --> End((END))
```
## Purpose
The `SQLERRM` SQL function gets the error message of the last SQL error that occurred during execution. The function can be used without parentheses.
See also [[SQLCODE]] and [[SQLROWCOUNT]].
Returns: the error message of the last error as `varchar2`. Returns `null` when no error occurred.
## Examples
The following example retrieves the error message of the last error; the output is empty since no error occurred:
```sql
select sqlerrm
-------------------
```
The following example first raises a division-by-zero error and then retrieves the error message of the last error:
```sql
select 1 / 0
itgenttn082: Division of 1 by zero is impossible.
```
```sql
select sqlerrm
--------------------------------------------------
itgenttn082: Division of 1 by zero is impossible.
```
The following example catches a division-by-zero error and raises a new application error with the error message provided by `SQLERRM`:
```sql
declare
x pls_integer;
begin
x := 1 / 0;
exception
when others
then
raise_application_error('sample', sqlerrm);
end;
sample: itgenttn082: Division of 1 by zero is impossible.
```