XL97: Overflow Error Occurs When Using Err Object (143460)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q143460

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro in Microsoft Excel 97, you may receive the following error message:
Run-time error '6':
Overflow

CAUSE

This problem may occur when all of the following conditions are true:

  • You set the value of a variable equal to the value of the Err object in the macro; the following is a sample statement: 
          ErrNum = Err
    -and-
  • You dimension the variable in question as type Integer.

    -and-
  • You use the Raise method of the Err object (Err.Raise) to generate a run-time error that has a value greater than 32767 or less than -32768.
This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUND

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To work around this problem, dimension variables that will contain Err values as type Long. For example, instead of using 
   Dim ErrNum As Integer
use: 
   Dim ErrNum As Long
This code ensures that you do not receive the overflow error message.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, the Err object contains information about run-time errors that occur when you run a Visual Basic macro. You can determine the value of the last run-time error that occurs by reading the value of the Err object. For example, the following line of code sets the variable (ErrNum) equal to the value of the last run-time error that occurs:

ErrNum = Err

You can use the Raise method of the Err object to generate a run-time error with any value. For example, to generate a run-time error whose value is 50000, use the following code: 
   Err.Raise 50000
If you use this code and set the value of a variable equal to the value of the Err object, as in the following code: 
   ErrNum = Err
you receive an overflow error if the variable (ErrNum) is dimensioned as type Integer.

NOTE: All run-time errors generated by Microsoft Excel 97 should have a value between -32768 and 32767. Therefore, you receive an overflow error only after you use Err.Raise to change the value of the Err object to a non-Integer value.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbdtacode kberrmsg kbprb KB143460
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