Knowledge Base

XL97: Compile Error Passing ParamArray

Article ID: 157351

Article Last Modified on 11/23/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q157351

SYMPTOMS

If you are passing a ParamArray to another function, you may receive the following error:

Compile error:
Invalid ParamArray use

CAUSE

This error message may occur if both of the following conditions are true:

You are running your macro code in Microsoft Excel 97.

-and-

You are passing the ParamArray to a ByRef argument in another function.

NOTE: If you run the same macro code in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 or 7.0, you will not receive the error message.

You receive the compile error because Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel 97 does not allow you to pass a ParamArray to a ByRef argument in another function.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals 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 needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

To work around this problem, add "ByVal" (without quotation marks) to the argument receiving the ParamArray in the function that is being called.

For example, the following macro code returns an error when you run the "Test" subroutine:

   Sub Test()

      x = myfun(1)
      MsgBox x

   End Sub

   Function myfun(y As Integer, ParamArray myarr() As Variant) As Integer

      myfun = otherfun(y, myarr)

   End Function

   Function otherfun(y As Integer, myarr As Variant) As Integer

      otherfun = y * 2

   End Function

If you change the "otherfun" function declaration to

   Function otherfun(y As Integer, ByVal myarr As Variant) As Integer

and run the "Test" subroutine, you get a message box with a value of 2 displayed.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

When you have an argument in the argument list of a function and you do not specify either ByVal (by value) or ByRef (by reference), the argument will be ByRef. This is the default in Visual Basic for all variables.

REFERENCES

For more information about passing arguments, from the Visual Basic Editor, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 97 Visual Basic for Applications Help, type the following text

passing arguments

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Passing arguments efficiently" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If the Assistant is not able to answer your query, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

176476 OFF: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions

Additional query words: XL97 Compile error Invalid ParamArray use

Keywords: kbdtacode kberrmsg kbprb KB157351