WD98: CALL Statement Cannot Accept Variable Argument

ID: Q184627

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Word, you can use the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications CALL statement to run another subroutine; however, you cannot specify the name of the subroutine by using a string variable or concatenated strings. Attempting to do so may result in the following error: 

   Compile Error: Syntax error

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/
If the variable strMacroName contains the name of the macro, use this statement: 

   Application.Run strMacroName
Or, if you are using literal strings: 

   Application.Run "Normal.Module1.MAIN"

   Application.Run "MyProject.MyModule.MyProcedure"

   Application.Run "'My Document.doc'!ThisModule.ThisProcedure"
If you specify the document or template name, your code can run macros only in documents or templates related to the current context; it cannot run any macro in any document or template.

Although Visual Basic code can call a macro directly (without using this method), this method is useful when the macro name is stored in a variable. The following two statements are functionally equivalent: 

   <ProjectName>.<ModuleName>.<MacroName>

   Application.Run MacroName:="<ProjectName>.<ModuleName>.<MacroName>"
In cases where you call a literal string such as "AutoExec.Main", you must remove the quotation marks, as shown in the following example: 

   CALL AutoExec.Main
NOTE: You cannot pass parameters to a macro by using the Run method.

MORE INFORMATION

The CALL statement uses the following syntax to call another subroutine 

   CALL <subroutinename>
where <subroutinename> is the name of the subroutine.

In Visual Basic for Applications, you can use the following command 

   Call [<ProjectName>].[<ModuleName>].<Macro_or_ProcedureName>
where <Project> is the name of the template or document, <Module> is the name of the module, and <Macro_or_ProcedureName> is the name of the macro or procedure.

In all cases, the argument for the CALL statement must be explicitly defined. For example, both 

   CALL strMacroName

    -and-

   CALL "AutoExec.main"
cause the error: 

   Compile Error: Syntax error
For more information about the Call Statement, from the Visual Basic Editor, click the Office Assistant, type "Call," click Search, and then click to view "Call Statement."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If the Assistant is not able to answer your query, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q176476
   TITLE     : OFF: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions

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
For more information about the Call statement, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE ID: Q164058
   TITLE     : Passing Procedure Arguments in Visual Basic for Applications

   ARTICLE ID: Q165518
   TITLE     : Calling Macros Using OLE from MS Visual Basic for
               Applications

   ARTICLE ID: Q114696
   TITLE     : Error Using Call Statement with Function Procedure
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q181058
   TITLE     : OFF98: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles
Additional query words: wordcon offcon vb vba vbe vba 

Keywords          : kbdta kbdtacode OffVBA kbwordvba 
Version           : MACINTOSH:98
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbnofix

Last Reviewed: April 7, 1999