"Unexpected token: <colon>" in Search dialog

[Pontiac_CZ]

What steps will reproduce the problem?

1. open the Search dialog (CTRL + F)
2. type railway:signal:main (as you're searching for main signals)
3. click "Search"

What is the expected result?

Expected is selecting all nodes with the key "railway:signal:main"

What happens instead?

An "Invalid search expression" error window pops-up

Please provide any additional information below. Attach a screenshot if possible.

Relative:URL: ^/trunk
Repository:UUID: 0c6e7542-c601-0410-84e7-c038aed88b3b
Last:Changed Date: 2025-08-31 14:19:57 +0200 (Sun, 31 Aug 2025)
Revision:19439
Build-Date:2025-09-02 01:30:58
URL:https://josm.openstreetmap.de/svn/trunk

Identification: JOSM/1.5 (19439 en_GB) Windows 11 64-Bit
OS Build number: Windows 10 Pro 24H2 (26100)
Memory Usage: 1696 MB / 16168 MB (864 MB allocated, but free)
Java version: 21.0.9+10-LTS, Azul Systems, Inc., OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM
Look and Feel: com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel
Screen: \Display0 2560x1440x32bpp@60Hz (scaling 1.00×1.00) \Display1 2560x1440x32bpp@60Hz (scaling 1.00×1.00)
Maximum Screen Size: 2560×1440
Best cursor sizes: 16×16→32×32, 32×32→32×32
System property file.encoding: UTF-8
System property sun.jnu.encoding: Cp1250
Locale info: en_GB
Numbers with default locale: 1234567890 -> 1234567890
VM arguments: [-Dicedtea-web.bin.location=C:\Program Files\OpenWebStart\javaws, -Djava.util.Arrays.useLegacyMergeSort=true, --add-reads=java.base=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-reads=java.desktop=ALL-UNNAMED,java.naming, --add-reads=java.naming=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.desktop/javax.jnlp=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.net.www.protocol.jar=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.action=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.provider=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.util=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.validator=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.x509=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/jdk.internal.util.jar=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.base/sun.net.www.protocol.http=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt.X11=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.applet=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop,jdk.jsobject, --add-exports=java.naming/com.sun.jndi.toolkit.url=ALL-UNNAMED,java.desktop, --add-modules=java.scripting,java.sql,javafx.controls,javafx.media,javafx.swing,javafx.web, --add-exports=java.desktop/com.apple.eawt=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=java.desktop/com.sun.imageio.spi=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=java.desktop/com.sun.imageio.plugins.jpeg=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.deploy/com.sun.deploy.config=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/jdk.internal.loader=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/jdk.internal.ref=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.desktop/javax.imageio.spi=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.desktop/javax.swing.text.html=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.prefs/java.util.prefs=ALL-UNNAMED, -Djava.security.manager=allow]
Dataset consistency test: No problems found

Plugins:
+ DirectUpload (36438)
+ contourmerge (v0.2.2)
+ reverter (36447)
+ undelete (36438)

Map paint styles:
- https://pasharm.github.io/New_basic_style_for_JOSM/New_basic_style.mapcss

Last errors/warnings:
- 104191.118 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.io.OsmTransferException: Could not connect to the OSM server. Please check your internet connection.. Cause: java.net.UnknownHostException: api.openstreetmap.org
- 104528.172 W: java.net.UnknownHostException: api.openstreetmap.org
- 104528.173 W: Already here java.net.UnknownHostException: api.openstreetmap.org
- 104528.173 E: java.net.UnknownHostException: api.openstreetmap.org
- 104528.174 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.io.OsmTransferException: Could not connect to the OSM server. Please check your internet connection.. Cause: java.net.UnknownHostException: api.openstreetmap.org
- 126223.150 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.search.SearchParseError: Unexpected token: <colon>
- 126244.044 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.search.SearchParseError: Unexpected token: <colon>
- 126367.967 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.search.SearchParseError: Unexpected token: <colon>
- 126578.028 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.search.SearchParseError: Unexpected token: <colon>
- 126591.290 W: org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.search.SearchParseError: Unexpected token: <colon>

[Pontiac_CZ]

Error window

[Pontiac_CZ]

No error without the second colon

[GerdP]

The colon is also used as a special character in the search dialog, e.g. you can search for name:main to search for name=* containing the string "main". If you want to search for a tag key containing the colon you have to either put the string in quotes or use the backslash:
"railway:signal:main" or railway\:signal\:main.