refactor mark tests, widen catching and make error msg more concise

src/_pytest/mark/legacy.py

@@ -84,13 +84,8 @@ def matchmark(colitem, markexpr):
     """Tries to match on any marker names, attached to the given colitem."""
     try:
         return eval(markexpr, {}, MarkMapping.from_item(colitem))
-    except (SyntaxError, TypeError):
-        raise UsageError(
-            "Marker expression provided to -m:{} was not valid python syntax."
-            " Please check the syntax provided and ensure it is correct".format(
-                markexpr
-            )
-        )
+    except Exception:
+        raise UsageError("Wrong expression passed to '-m': {}".format(markexpr))
 
 
 def matchkeyword(colitem, keywordexpr):

testing/test_mark.py

@@ -601,21 +601,6 @@ class TestFunctional:
         deselected_tests = dlist[0].items
         assert len(deselected_tests) == 2
 
-    def test_invalid_m_option(self, testdir):
-        testdir.makepyfile(
-            """
-            def test_a():
-                pass
-        """
-        )
-        expected = (
-            "ERROR: Marker expression provided to -m: bogus/ was not valid python syntax. Please "
-            "check the syntax provided and ensure it is correct"
-        )
-        result = testdir.runpytest("-m bogus/")
-        result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([expected])
-        assert result.ret == ExitCode.USAGE_ERROR
-
     def test_keywords_at_node_level(self, testdir):
         testdir.makepyfile(
             """
@@ -1027,7 +1012,8 @@ def test_pytest_param_id_allows_none_or_string(s):
     assert pytest.param(id=s)
 
 
-def test_ux_eval_syntax_error(testdir):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expr", ("NOT internal_err", "NOT (internal_err)", "bogus/"))
+def test_marker_expr_eval_failure_handling(testdir, expr):
     foo = testdir.makepyfile(
         """
         import pytest
@@ -1037,29 +1023,7 @@ def test_ux_eval_syntax_error(testdir):
             pass
         """
     )
-    expected = (
-        "ERROR: Marker expression provided to -m: NOT internal_err was not valid python syntax. Please "
-        "check the syntax provided and ensure it is correct"
-    )
-    result = testdir.runpytest(foo, "-m NOT internal_err")
-    result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([expected])
-    assert result.ret == ExitCode.USAGE_ERROR
-
-
-def test_ux_eval_type_error(testdir):
-    foo = testdir.makepyfile(
-        """
-        import pytest
-
-        @pytest.mark.internal_err
-        def test_foo():
-            pass
-        """
-    )
-    expected = (
-        "ERROR: Marker expression provided to -m: NOT (internal_err) was not valid python syntax. Please "
-        "check the syntax provided and ensure it is correct"
-    )
-    result = testdir.runpytest(foo, "-m NOT (internal_err)")
+    expected = "ERROR: Wrong expression passed to '-m': {}".format(expr)
+    result = testdir.runpytest(foo, "-m", expr)
     result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([expected])
     assert result.ret == ExitCode.USAGE_ERROR