VARTYPE() Function Returns Value 8204 for Variant/Array

• Microsoft Visual Basic Programming System, Applications Edition, version 1.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
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SUMMARY

In Microsoft Visual Basic Programming System, Applications Edition, when you use the VarType function to return the value indicating the subtype of a variable, the function returns the value 8204 if your variable is defined as either of the following:

• A variant that contains an array.

  -or-

• An array that contains variant data type.

MORE INFORMATION

When you use the VarType function to return the subtype of your variable, the function returns the value 8204 for a variable that is an array of type Variant (8192 for Array + 12 for Variant). If your variable is a Variant that contains an array, the function also returns the value 8204. An array of type Variant is exactly the same as a Variant that contains an array. The following Visual Basic example demonstrates this:

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Visual Basic Example

The following procedure shows that the variable q, defined as a variant containing an array of values, x, y, and z, is actually an array of variant data types.

Sub VarConArray()
   ' Dimension variables
   Dim x As Integer, y As Integer, z As Integer
   Dim q As Variant

   ' Set value of variable q equal to variant containing
   ' array of integer data type
   q = Array(x, y, z)

   MsgBox VarType(q)        ' returns value 8204
   MsgBox TypeName(q)       ' returns value Variant()
   MsgBox TypeName(q(1))    ' returns value Integer

   ' assign first element in array to string value "test"
   q(1) = "test"

   MsgBox VarType(q)        ' returns value 8204
   MsgBox TypeName(q)       ' returns value Variant()
   MsgBox TypeName(q(1))    ' returns value String

End Sub

Therefore, when you dimension an array as Variant data type, each element of the array is Variant data type. That is, an array of variants is the same as an array dimensioned as Variant data type as in the following example:

   Dim x(3) As Variant

REFERENCES

For more information about the VarType Function, choose the Search button in Visual Basic Reference Help, and type:

   VarType

Keywords          : kbcode kbprg
Version           : 1.00    | 1.00
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS