ACC2000: Expression Error May Be Caused by International Setting

When you try to enter an expression that requires a list separator in the QBE grid field or criteria rows, or as the ControlSource property setting for a text box in a form or report, the attempt fails, and you may receive the following error message: When you try to enter an expression that requires a list separator in an action argument for a macro action, the attempt fails, and you may receive the following error message:

In Microsoft Access 2000, these errors can occur because of an incorrect list separator setting on the Number tab of the Regional Settings Properties dialog box in the Windows Control Panel.

To set the list separator for your country, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Windows 95/98, or Windows NT 4.0, double-click the Regional Settings icon (the Regional Options icon in Windows 2000) in Control Panel.
2. In the dialog box that is displayed, click the Regional Settings tab (the General tab in Windows 2000). Note that you can select many different regions of the world.
3. Click the Number tab and specify the correct list separator in the List Separator box.

Microsoft Access 2000 only uses the Windows registry; it does not use the Win.ini file. When you enter an expression in a property sheet, a design grid, or an action argument, Microsoft Access recognizes region- specific function names, property names, and list separators for international versions.

When using functions or properties in an expression in most international versions of Microsoft Access 2000, you can type its localized name (in your language) in a property sheet, a design grid, or an action argument. You can also use the list separator for your country when you specify more than one argument for a function. You specify the list separator on the Number tab of the Regional Settings (or Regional Options)dialog box in the Windows Control Panel. For most international versions, the default list separator is a semicolon (;).

However, in Visual Basic for Applications code, you must type the English function or property name and use a comma (,) as a list separator.