XL2000: Error Message: "Error 2015" or "Run-time Error '13': Type Mismatch " (211601)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
This article was previously published under Q211601

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 2000, if you use the Evaluate method in a Visual Basic for Applications macro to evaluate a statement or formula that contains a date, the method may return either of the following error messages:
Run-time error '13':
  Type mismatch

-or-

Error 2015

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:
  • The date you are passing to the Evaluate method contains a two-digit year instead of a four-digit year. For example, the date contains the year 25 rather than 2025.

    -and-
  • The date you are passing to the Evaluate method uses either the day/month/year order or the year/month/day order.

    -and-
  • The date is stored as a text string, for example, "25/7/5".
Specifically, the problem occurs because Microsoft Excel tries to evaluate the date using the month/day/year date order, even if the date was not entered using that date order. If the date includes a four-digit year, Microsoft Excel is able to determine the correct date; if not, the date may not be able to be resolved. If this is the case, Microsoft Excel returns an error value.

See the "More Information" section later in this article for a demonstration of this problem.

WORKAROUND

To prevent this problem from occurring, use any of the following methods:
  • Use four-digit years whenever possible in your dates. For example, instead of typing 25/1/1 (January 1, 2025), type 2025/1/1.

    -or-
  • Make sure that all of the dates are entered using the month/day/year date order.

    -or-
  • Use the DATE function to convert text dates into serial dates, for example: 
Application.Evaluate("DATE(25,7,5)+1")

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

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 a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/partner/referral/

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS



To reproduce this problem, follow these steps:
  1. Start Microsoft Excel 2000. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and click Visual Basic Editor.
  2. On the View menu, click Immediate Window. Or, press CTRL+G.
  3. Type the following lines of code in the Immediate window. Press ENTER after you enter each line of code:
      ?Application.Evaluate("=""2025/7/5""+1")
      ?Application.Evaluate("=""7/5/25""+1")
      ?Application.Evaluate("=""25/7/5""+1")
Note the following:
  • The first line of code returns the correct result 45844, the serial number value of July 5, 2025. Even though the date uses year/month/day date order, the result is correct because the date includes a four-digit year.
  • The second line of code also returns 45844. The result is correct because the date was entered using month/day/year date order.
  • However, the third line of code returns Error 2015 because the date uses a two-digit year and the date is entered using year/month/day date order.
Also, if you run the following macro 
   Sub Test()
       MsgBox Application.Evaluate("=""25/7/5""+1")
   End Sub
you will receive a run-time error message 13 (type mismatch) error message. The problem occurs because the date uses a two-digit year and is entered using year/month/day date order.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbbug kbdtacode kberrmsg kbpending KB211601
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