Min and Max Functions Do Not Work Properly with Arrays (149226)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q149226

SYMPTOMS

In Visual Basic for Applications, when you use the Date data type in an array, the Application.Max and Application.Min functions return zero. You should use Application.Max and Application.Min against individual items in the arrays to return the correct value.

When you use the Double data type in an array, Application.Min returns 0 while Application.Max gives the correct value.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers 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 requirements. Visual Basic for Applications provides the DateSerial function for use with arrays of dates. The Max and Min worksheet functions work properly with DateSerial.

With a Double data type, the first element in an array is 0 by default (unless Option Base 1 is declared).

In the following sample macro, Dim dblarr(2) defines an array of three elements with the first element being referred to as zero. The remaining issue lies in converting an array of dates to an array of strings. The Min and Max functions do not evaluate each element of the array; therefore, they evaluate the strings to zero.

Sample Visual Basic Procedure

   Option Explicit

   Sub DateArrayArithTest()
      Dim dtarr() As Date
      ReDim dtarr(1 To 2)

      Sheets("sheet1").Activate
      dtarr(1) = DateSerial(1997, 3, 12)
      dtarr(2) = DateSerial(1996, 3, 12)

      ActiveSheet.Cells(3, 2).Value = Application.Min(dtarr)
      ActiveSheet.Cells(4, 2).Value = Application.Max(dtarr)
      ActiveSheet.Cells(3, 3).Value = Application.Min(dtarr(1), dtarr(2))
      ActiveSheet.Cells(4, 3).Value = Application.Max(dtarr(1), dtarr(2))

      Dim dblarr() As Double
      ReDim dblarr(1 To 2)

      dblarr(1) = CDbl(dtarr(1))
      dblarr(2) = CDbl(dtarr(2))

      ActiveSheet.Cells(3, 4).Value = Application.Min(dblarr)
      ActiveSheet.Cells(4, 4).Value = Application.Max(dblarr)

   End Sub

REFERENCES

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbdtacode kbhowto kbProgramming KB149226
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