PRB: Variable Not Defined Error Message When Using a Constant

• Microsoft Office 2000 Developer
• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0
• Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

The following error message displays when you attempt to use a predefined constant for an automation server:

"Compile Error:
Variable Not Defined"

CAUSE

You are using late binding on an ActiveX component.

RESOLUTION

You can use early binding by referencing the object library for the automation server in your project. Click References on the Project menu to select the object library.

or-

If you want to use late binding, declare your own constant and assign it to the numeric value of the predefined constant. For example, the constant xlR1C1 is equivalent to -4150. Therefore, you could add the following to your project.

Const xlR1C1 = -4150

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Late binding occurs when you declare a variable As Object, As Form, As Control, or As Variant and Visual Basic cannot determine at compile time what sort of object reference the variable will contain. Therefore, Visual Basic must use late binding to determine at run time whether the actual object has the properties and methods you call using the variable.

Early binding occurs when you make a reference to the object library at design time. Visual Basic then knows what object library contains the properties and methods when you make your variable call. Early binding also provides some performance gains.

REFERENCES

"How Binding Affects ActiveX Component Performance" in the Visual Basic Component Tools Guide, version 5.0.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kberrmsg kbinterop kbAutomation kbVBp kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSO kbOffice2000 
Version           : :; WINDOWS:4.0,5.0,6.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: June 8, 1999