XL97: User-Defined Function Using Select Case Statement May Return #VALUE! (240370)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q240370

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, when you call a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications custom function in a cell, you may receive the #VALUE! error value.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:
  • The user-defined function is using a Select Case statement.

    -and-

  • The test expression of the Select Case statement is of Variant data type.

    -and-

  • The Select Case statement is comparing the test expression to numeric values and then to alphanumeric text strings.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, rearrange the order of the comparisons in the Select Case statements, so that all alphanumeric text or string comparisons to the test expression occur first, and then all numeric value comparisons to the test expression occur.

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

For example, the user-defined function UnitPrice requires an argument Model. The Select Case statement compares the value of Model with 60 and then 100. If it finds no match, the Select Case statement continues and compares Model with the text strings. The first text string is "200S". If you type =UNITPRICE("200S") in a cell, you would expect to see the value 243 returned, but the result of UnitPrice is #VALUE!. 
Function UnitPrice(Model)
    Select Case Model
        Case 60
            UnitPrice = 121
        Case 100
            UnitPrice = 145
        Case "200S"
            UnitPrice = 243
        Case "400S"
            UnitPrice = 330
        Case Else
            UnitPrice = "Input Incorrect"
    End Select
End Function
To resolve this error, change the order of all the comparisons of the Select Case statement so that it compares the text strings first. See the following correction to the UnitPrice function: 
Function UnitPrice(Model)
    Select Case Model
        Case "200S"
            UnitPrice = 243
        Case "400S"
            UnitPrice = 330
        Case 60
            UnitPrice = 121
        Case 100
            UnitPrice = 145
        Case Else
            UnitPrice = "Input Incorrect"
    End Select
End Function
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/10/2006
Keywords:kbbug kbdtacode kbnofix KB240370
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.