XL: EVALUATE() Function with INDIRECT() Returns #REF! Error

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Symptoms

In Microsoft Excel, if you use the EVALUATE() function in an XLM macro to return the value of a formula that contains the INDIRECT() function, the value returned by EVALUATE() is the #REF! error value.

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Cause

This problem occurs, for example, when you use the EVALUATE() function in a macro to return the result of another function if this function returns a value using INDIRECT(). In the following example, the EVALUATE() function in cell A2 returns the #REF! error value when you run the macro Test.

   A1: TEST
   A2: =EVALUATE("TEST2()")
   A3: =RETURN()
   A4:
   A5: TEST2
   A6: =RETURN(INDIRECT("NAME"))

NOTE: This problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel version 4.0.

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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. To work around this behavior, you can create a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications function in Microsoft Excel to display a value returned by a second function (Test2 in this example) that evaluates a defined name as in the following example:

   Function Test()
       ' Display value returned by function Test2.
       MsgBox Test2
   End Function

   Function Test2()
       ' Return the value of the defined name "name" on the workbook.
       ' Note that you can replace the defined name with a cell
       ' reference to return the value stored in a particular cell.
       Test2 = Range("Name").Value
   End Function

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More information

You can use the INDIRECT() function in a macro or on a worksheet to return the reference specified by the function argument. You can use INDIRECT() to return the value stored in a cell indicated by a reference in another cell.

You can use the EVALUATE() function to evaluate a formula or expression that is in the form of text and return the result.

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