Microsoft KB Archive/63341

{| = Excel: EXEC Function Does Not Return Logical Values =
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Last reviewed: November 2, 1994

Article ID: Q63341

SUMMARY
Page 217 of the &quot;Microsoft Excel Functions and Macros&quot; manual incorrectly states in the description of the EXEC function that &quot;EXEC returns TRUE if the application specified by application_text is launched successfully, FALSE if the application is not found, if there is not enough memory to launch the application, or if MultiFinder is not being used.&quot;

EXEC actually returns the number of applications opened since start-up [including the Finder and System and any desk accessory (DA) opened in the DA Handler, such as Microsoft Mail]. If the application is not found, or if there is not enough memory to launch the application, EXEC returns a #VALUE! error and produces a macro error.

MORE INFORMATION
The EXEC(application_text) function opens another application from within a macro. The &quot;application_text&quot; argument refers to any legal Macintosh program name, in quotation marks. (Note: MultiFinder must be used.)

EXEC does not execute Excel's Quit command. Even though the EXEC function has activated a new application, Excel is still executing macro commands in the background. Functions such as ACTIVATE, CUT, and COPY may still be used, but they will not have any effect in the new application.
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