XL97: Error Appears When CopyFromRecordSet Uses Empty Variable (172499)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro that uses the Data Access Objects (DAO) CopyFromRecordSet method to retrieve data from an external database, you may receive the following error message:

This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

If you click Details, you receive an error message similar to the following:

EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at 0137:30459362.

CAUSE

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This problem occurs if the Data argument of the CopyFromRecordSet method is either uninitialized or is set to Nothing, as in the following examples.

Variable Is Uninitialized

Sub Test1()

       Dim X As Object, D As Database, R As Object
       Set D = OpenDatabase("C:\Northwind.mdb")
       Set R = D.OpenRecordset("SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE " & _
           "Country = 'None';")

       ' Variable X is uninitialized.
       ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Cells(1, 1).CopyFromRecordset X

   End Sub

Variable Is Set to Nothing

    Sub Test2()
       Dim D As Database, R As Object
       Set D = OpenDatabase("C:\Northwind.mdb")
       Set R = Nothing

       'Variable R is set to Nothing.
       ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Cells(1, 1).CopyFromRecordset R

   End Sub

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, make sure that the TypeName function of the Data variable is set to a value other than Nothing. To do this, modify the code so that it resembles the following:

     ' If R is not Nothing and is not uninitialized, then...
   If TypeName(R) <> "Nothing" Then

       '...copy the recordset into Sheet1, cell A1.
       ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Cells(1, 1).CopyFromRecordSet R

   End If

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, you use the CopyFromRecordSet method to copy the contents of a recordset object into a worksheet.

If the OpenRecordSet method returns a recordset that contains no data (for example, you used a query that returns no records), the problem described in this article does not occur, and no data is returned to the worksheet. The problem occurs only when the Data argument refers to a variable that does not contain a recordset.