XL97: Error Passing Objects to Subroutine (157407)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q157407

SYMPTOMS

When you run a macro in Microsoft Excel 97, you may receive the following error message:
Run-time error '424':
Object required
and the macro ends.

CAUSE

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

  • You pass an object, such as a drop-down list, to a subroutine. -and-

  • You do not use the Call statement in the statement that calls the subroutine -and-

  • You enclose the object that is being passed in parentheses in the statement that calls the subroutine.
NOTE: This problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0.

RESOLUTION

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

The following subroutine generates a run-time error in Microsoft Excel 97: 
   Sub Passing_Routine()

       'Pass the drop-down object that is on Sheet1 of your workbook
       'to the subroutine called "Populate_Dropdown"

       Populate_Dropdown (Sheets("sheet1").DropDowns("Drop Down 1"))

   End Sub

   '-------------------------------------------------------------------
   'This is the subroutine that is being called by the above subroutine
   'and takes the drop-down that is being passed as its argument.

   Sub Populate_Dropdown(mydropdown as DropDown)

       mydropdown.List = Array("a", "b", "c")

   End Sub
To resolve this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Use the Call statement to call the subroutine. For example, the following macro illustrates how to call the subroutine Populate_Dropdown: 
   Sub Passing_Routine()

       'Pass the drop-down object that is on Sheet1 of your workbook
       'to the subroutine called "Populate_Dropdown".

       Call Populate_Dropdown (Sheets("sheet1").DropDowns("Drop Down 1"))

   End Sub

Method 2

Remove the parentheses that are around the object that is passed to the subroutine. In the following example, the parentheses are removed: 
   Sub Passing_Routine()

       'Pass the drop-down object that is on Sheet1 of your workbook
       'to the subroutine called "Populate_Dropdown".

       Populate_Dropdown Sheets("sheet1").DropDowns("Drop Down 1")

   End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

You are not required to use the Call keyword when calling a procedure. However, if you use the Call keyword to call a procedure that requires arguments, these arguments must be enclosed in parentheses. If you omit the Call keyword, omit the parentheses that are around the argument list. To pass an array to a procedure, use the array name followed by empty parentheses.

For additional information about passing arguments to subroutines, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

41535 Syntax Differs When Calling a SUB without the CALL Keyword

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbdtacode kberrmsg kbProgramming KB157407
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