I have got script like this
#!/bin/ksh -e
function errtrap {
es=$?
print "ERROR line $1: Command exited with status $es."
}
trap 'errtrap $LINENO' ERR

cp no_perm yes_perm
echo "error"

When I run the script I get a output like this.
**********************
cp: cannot access no_perm
ERROR line 7: Command exited with status 2.
***********************

I would like to catch the error message " cp: cannot access no_perm " and display that with the print statement rather send in a mail at that place .
Is there any variable like $? which catches a error message . Much like sqlerrm variable in oracle .

I have done man ksh and did not find any .

I am doing this in script so that I don't have a option like
cp no_perm yes_perm 2>file
and then grep the content of file . Again for some reason i can't do call a script like test.ksh 2>/dev/null

Thanks
Ashok

A little bit cryptic ...
error=$(exec 4>&1 5>&2 ; command goes here 2>&4 1>&5)
This swaps the function of stdout and stderr while command is running. So with:
error=$(exec 4>&1 5>&2 ; ls -l somefile not-there 2>&4 1>&5)
the ls -l for somefile is displayed and the error message regarding not-there is stored in the variable.

In your case, a simple cp command that does not write to stdout, you could more simply do:
error=$(cp this that 2>&1)