XL97: Run-time Error '1004' Accessing Locally Defined Name

ID: Q159957

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In a Visual Basic for Applications macro, when you attempt to access a locally defined name using the following syntax in Microsoft Excel 97: 

   Workbook.Names(<name>)
where <name> is a locally defined name, you receive the following run-time error: 

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

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you reference a locally defined name, and you fail to qualify the name with the name of the worksheet. For example, if you create a locally defined name called Sheet1!MyName in Microsoft Excel 97, the following line of code fails: 

   MsgBox Activeworkbook.Names("MyName").Name
This syntax is incorrect because the locally defined name is not qualified with the name of the worksheet.

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

NOTE: Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 allow this syntax, and they return the expected results if the sheet that contains the name is the active sheet when you run the macro.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, qualify the locally defined name with its worksheet name. The following examples illustrate the correct syntax to use when you reference a locally defined name: 

   MsgBox Activeworkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").Names("MyName").Name

    -or-

   MsgBox Activeworkbook.Names("Sheet1!MyName").Name
Additional query words: XL97 level 8.0 8.00 
Keywords          : kbprg kbdta kbdtacode KbVBA xlvbmigrate 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: June 30, 1999