PRB: Object Variable Not Set Error If Object Not Instantiated (129836)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 16-bit, for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 16-bit, for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0

This article was previously published under Q129836

SYMPTOMS

Referencing an object that has not been instantiated results in this error:

"Object variable or With block variable not Set"
(Err = 91)

CAUSE

If you declare an object as in this example:

   Dim MyForm as Form1

you have allocated a reference to the object (similar to a pointer in the C programming language), but you have not allocated or instantiated the object itself.

Therefore, when the object is referenced in code as in this example:

   MyForm.Print "Hello World!"

the error message "Object variable or With block not Set" is generated.

RESOLUTION

The following three code examples demonstrate how to declare and use an object variable (MyForm in this case) correctly:

Code Sample One

Dim MyForm as Form1
Set MyForm = New Form1
' Where the object type is the same as the object type used in the
' declaration.
MyForm.Print "Hello World!"

Code Sample Two

Dim MyForm as New Form1
MyForm.Print "Hello World!"

Code Sample Three

Dim MyForm as Form1
Dim MyForm1 as New Form1
Set MyForm= MyForm1
MyForm.Print "Hello World!"

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	12/9/2003
Keywords:	kbprb KB129836