Microsoft KB Archive/164239

= ACC97: InputBox Error: "Function Isn't Available in Expressions" =

Article ID: 164239

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q164239



Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.



SYMPTOMS
When you use the InputBox function in a query, you may receive the following error message:

Function isn't available in expressions

When you click More Help in the error message box, you also receive the following error

The topic does not exist. Contact your application vendor for an updated Help file. (129)



RESOLUTION
The following four methods enable you to work around this behavior.

Method 1: Use a Parameter
You can use a parameter in the query in place of the InputBox function. For example, instead of the expression

  InputBox("Enter a Date")

use the parameter:

  [Enter a Date]

Then on the Query menu, click Parameters and type the parameter again, along with its associated data type, in the Query Parameters dialog box.

For more information about parameter queries, search the Help Index for "parameter queries."

Method 2: Use the Eval Function
You can wrap the InputBox function inside the Eval function. Use two sets of quotation marks (") or one set of apostrophes (') around each of the text arguments for the InputBox function. For example, instead of the expression

  InputBox("Enter a Date","Title",#1/1/95#)

use the expression:

  Eval("InputBox(""Enter a Date"",""Title line"",#1/1/95#)")

  -or-

  Eval("InputBox('Enter a Date','Title line',#1/1/95#)")

Method 3: Use the Query by Form Technique
If the information you want to type in the input box can be obtained from a form, you can use the query by form technique to supply the criteria. For example, instead of the expression

  InputBox("Enter a Date")

use the expression:

  Forms![Form Name]![Control Name]

For more information about using the query by form technique, search the Help Index for "query by form," and see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

95931 ACC: How to Use the Query-by-Form (QBF) Technique

Method 4: Use the InputBox Function in a Custom Procedure
Create a custom procedure that contains the InputBox function, and then use the custom procedure in your query. For example, instead of the expression

  InputBox("Enter a Date","Title",#1/1/95#)

use the expression:

  GetDate

where GetDate is the following custom procedure in a module:

Function GetDate GetDate = InputBox("Enter a Date","Title",#1/1/95#) End Function

For more information about creating a custom procedure, please see the Microsoft Access manual, "Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97," Chapter 2, "Introducing Visual Basic," pages 57-81.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



Steps to Reproduce Behavior
<ol> <li>Start Microsoft Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.</li> <li> Create a new query in Design view based on the Orders table:

<pre class="fixed_text">     Query: ListOrders -     Type: Select Query

Field: OrderID Table: Orders Field: CustomerID Table: Orders Field: OrderDate Table: Orders Criteria: InputBox("Enter a Date","Title",#1/1/95#) </li> <li>On the Query menu, click Run. Note that you receive the error message. Click More Help in the error message box and note that you receive the second error message.</li></ol>

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