XL98: Error Using Natural Language Formula in a Macro

ID: Q178520

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro in Microsoft Excel that references a natural language formula (NLF), you may receive the following error message:

   Run-time error '1004':
   Method 'Range' of object '_Global' failed

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you use the Range property in a macro to reference a natural language formula on a worksheet. For example, either of the following statements that refer to the labels "AB" and "CD" will cause a run-time error:

   Range("AB CD").Select

   -or-

   MsgBox Range("AB CD").Value

WORKAROUND

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/

To work around this problem, write the formula to a cell on a worksheet and then evaluate the formula from the worksheet. The following sample macro demonstrates how to do this:

   Sub Test()
      ' Declare the variable X as an Object type.
      Dim X as Object

      ' Set X to a worksheet cell (D1).
      Set X = ActiveSheet.Range("D1")

      ' Enter the NLF formula in D1.
      X.Formula = "='East' 'ProductsB'"

      ' Set the variable Y to result of the NLF.
      Y = [X].Value

      ' Clear cell D1.
      X.ClearContents

      ' Display the result of the formula.
      Msgbox Y
   End Sub

For the preceding sample macro to work correctly, you should type the following sample data:

   A1:          B1: ProductsA     C1: ProductsB
   A2: East     B2: 100           C2: 200
   A2: West     B2: 300           C2: 400

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: XL98 NLF ELF

Keywords          : xlvbahowto xlformula 
Version           : MACINTOSH:98
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: May 17, 1999