XL98: Using NoteText and Comment.Text to Apply Comments

ID: Q183797

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel 98, the NoteText method of a cell is limited to a maximum length of 255 characters. This article explains how to work around this limitation and some of the related problems that you may encounter when you work with cell comments.

MORE INFORMATION

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   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/

Working Around the 255-Character Limitation of the NoteText Method

Although the NoteText method of a cell is limited to a maximum of 255 characters, you can insert a comment that is up to 32,767 characters in length in a cell. To do this, use the Text method of a Comment object that is attached to the cell. For example, instead of the following code

   ActiveCell.NoteText "This is a 1000 character comment."

use a line of code that is similar to the following:

   ActiveCell.Comment.Text "This is a 1000 character comment."

Using the NoteText Method with Comments Longer Than 255 Characters

If you use the NoteText method to insert a comment that is longer than 255 characters in length in a cell, the new comment is not inserted in the cell, and you do not receive an error message.

For example, if you run a macro with the following code

   ActiveCell.NoteText String(256, "x")

and the active cell does not already contain a comment, no comment is added to the cell because the length of the new comment would exceed 255 characters.

If you run a macro with the following code

   ActiveCell.NoteText ActiveCell.NoteText & String(100, "x")

and the length of the existing comment exceeds 155 characters, the comment is not updated because the length of the new comment would exceed 255 characters.

NOTE: In earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, the first 255 characters of text are applied to the comment; the remaining characters are truncated.

Using Comment.Text to Change the Comment in a Cell

When you use Comment.Text to change the comment in a cell, the cell must already contain a comment. If no comment was previously inserted in the cell, you receive the following error message:

   Run-time error '91':
   Object variable or With block variable not set

To insert a comment in a cell, use code similar to the following:

   ActiveCell.AddComment

NOTE: If the active cell already contains a comment, you receive the following error message when you run the code:

   Run-time error '1004':
   Application-defined or object-defined error

To add a comment to a cell that may or may not contain a comment, use code similar to the following:

   Sub AddACommentToTheActiveCell()

       ' The following line suppresses the run-time error message when
       ' adding a comment to a cell.
       On Error Resume Next

       ' Add a comment to the cell. If the cell already contains a comment,
       ' this line does nothing.
       ActiveCell.AddComment

       ' Return to normal error handling.
       On Error GoTo 0

       ' Add the text to the comment. If the cell already contains a
       ' comment, this is all you actually need.
       ActiveCell.Comment.Text "This is a comment."

   End Sub

Using Comment.Text to Add New Text to an Existing Comment

If you want to add new text to an existing comment while preserving the original comment text, use a line of code similar to the following:

   ActiveCell.Comment.Text ActiveCell.Comment.Text & "New Comment Text"

Characters over the 32,767-character limit for comments are truncated.

REFERENCES

For more information about the NoteText Method, click the Office Assistant, type "NoteText," click Search, and then click to view "NoteText Method."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q179216
   TITLE     : OFF98: How to Use the Microsoft Office Installer Program

Additional query words: 32767 XL98

Keywords          : kbcode kbdtacode xlvbahowto xlvbainfo 
Version           : MACINTOSH:98
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: May 18, 1999