XL: Visual Basic Add Method Fails If Object Already Exists

ID: Q141766

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you create a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro and you attempt to add an object for the second time, the Add method fails and you receive the following error message:

   Run time error 1004: Add method of <collection> class failed

Where <collection> is the object collection used.

CAUSE

This error message occurs when the collection object of the same class and name already exists, and you attempt to add it a second time with the same

name.

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel, because it eliminates the possibility of having two objects of the same class with the same name.

MORE INFORMATION

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 the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

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

For example, the following macro

   Sub Add_Style()
      For x = 1 to 2
         ActiveWorkbook.Styles.Add Name:="mystyle"
      Next
   End Sub

produces the following error in the second iteration of the loop:

   Run time error 1004: Add method of Styles class failed

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications

Additional query words: 5.00 7.00

Keywords          : kberrmsg kbprg kbdta kbdtacode PgmOthr KbVBA 
Version           : MACINTOSH:5.00,98; WINDOWS:5.00,7.00,97
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: May 17, 1999