XL5 Err Msg: "Not Enough Memory" With Indirect Defined Names

ID: Q109209

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, defined names are normally limited to 20 levels of indirection. If you use a defined name that exceeds this limit, you will receive the "Not enough memory" error message.


MORE INFORMATION

A level of indirection in defined names is created when one name refers to another name or to a cell reference.

If you have the following names defined in a workbook (Book1) 


   Name    Refers to       Level of indirection
   --------------------------------------------

   Test1   =Sheet1!$A$1               1
   Test2   =Book1!Test1               2
   Test3   =Book1!Test2               3
   Test4   =Book1!Test3               4
   Test5   =Book1!Test4               5
   Test6   =Book1!Test5               6
   Test7   =Book1!Test6               7
   Test8   =Book1!Test7               8
   Test9   =Book1!Test8               9
   Test10  =Book1!Test9               10
   Test11  =Book1!Test10              11
   Test12  =Book1!Test11              12
   Test13  =Book1!Test12              13
   Test14  =Book1!Test13              14
   Test15  =Book1!Test14              15
   Test16  =Book1!Test15              16
   Test17  =Book1!Test16              17
   Test18  =Book1!Test17              18
   Test19  =Book1!Test18              19
   Test20  =Book1!Test19              20 (the limit)
   Test21  =Book1!Test20              21
where each line represents one level of indirection, and if you attempt to use a name that exceeds the 20th level of indirection, you will receive the "Not enough memory" error message.

You may also receive this error message if you try to delete a name that has too many levels of indirection below it. For example, if you try to delete the name "Test1", you may receive the error message because the name "Test21" is 20 or more levels of indirection away.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic procedures 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 Visual Basic procedure is provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that it can be used in all situations. Microsoft does not support modifications of this procedure to suit customer requirements for a particular purpose. Note that a line that is preceded by an apostrophe introduces a comment in the code--comments are provided to explain what the code is doing at a particular point in the procedure. Note also that an underscore character (_) indicates that code continues from one line to the next. You can type lines that contain this character as one logical line or you can divide the lines of code and include the line continuation character. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications programming style, see the "Programming Style in This Manual" section in the "Document Conventions" section of the "Visual Basic User's Guide."

To create an example that demonstrates what can happen if you exceed the limit of 20 levels of indirection, do the following:

  1. Open a new workbook (Book1) that contains a Visual Basic module (Module1) and a worksheet (Sheet1) and does not contain any defined names. In the Visual Basic module, type the following: 

    
   '----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR/>
   Option Explicit

   Sub CreateNames()
      'Dimension some variables.
      Dim X As Integer
      'Create the name "Test1", which refers to Sheet1!$A$1.
      ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="Test1", RefersTo:="=Sheet1!$A$1"
      'Iterate through the loop 20 times, creating the names "Test2"
      'through "Test21".
      For X = 2 To 21
      'Create the name "Test(X)", which refers to the name "Test(X-1)".
      'For example, Test2 refers to Test1, Test3 refers to Test2, etc.
      'IMPORTANT: These two lines should be entered as one line.
         ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="Test" & X, _
            RefersTo:="=Book1!Test" & X - 1
      Next                                  'loop until all done
   End Sub
   '----------------------------------------------------------------------


  2. To run the CreateNames() subroutine, position the insertion point in the line that reads Sub CreateNames() and press the F5 key.

    When you run the CreateNames subroutine, you will have 21 names defined on Sheet1. Each name Test[X], where [X] is a number from 2 to 21, refers to Test[X-1]. Test1 refers to Sheet1!$A$1.


  3. On Sheet1, enter the following values:

    B1: =Test20
    B2: =Test21

    When you enter the formula =Test21, you will receive the "Not enough memory" error message. This is because the name Test21 is at the 21st level of indirection relative to Test1, to which it ultimately refers. The "=Test20" formula works because Test20 is only at the 20th level of indirection relative to Test1.


  4. From the Insert menu, choose Name, and then choose Define.


  5. From the Names In Workbook list, select Test1 and choose the Delete button.

    Again, you will receive the "Not enough memory" error message. The name Test1 will not be deleted.


NOTE: If you delete the name Test21 first, you can delete Test1 because you are then within the 20 levels of indirection limit.

Additional query words: 5.00 


Keywords          : 
Version           : 5.00
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999