Microsoft KB Archive/134943

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Evaluate Method Affects Volatility of Custom Functions

Article ID: 134943

Article Last Modified on 10/11/2006



APPLIES TO

  • Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Excel 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Excel 5.0a for Macintosh



This article was previously published under Q134943

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, a custom function created using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications may not return the expected result.

CAUSE

The custom function may not return the expected result if the following conditions are true:

  • The custom function is set up to be volatile. -and-


  • The Evaluate method is being used in the custom function. -and-


  • The Volatile method appears in the function above the Evaluate method. -and-


  • The custom function is being called from a worksheet cell.

When the above conditions are true, the custom function will return a correct result when the function is initially entered. However, the function will not be recalculated when the worksheet that is calling the function is subsequently recalculated.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. To resolve this problem, place the line of macro code that contains the Volatile method after the line of macro code that contains the Evaluate method, as in the following two lines of code:

   variable = ActiveSheet.Evaluate(argument)
   Application.Volatile
                

NOTE: The above two lines of code will not work in a macro if typed exactly as shown. Their purpose is to illustrate the relative positions for these two methods if you want your code to work properly.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.


Additional query words: 5.0 7.0 7.0a XL

Keywords: kbbug kbcode kbpending kbprogramming KB134943