XL2000: Error When Passing an Array Value Between Macros

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This article was previously published under Q213556

Symptoms

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro in Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following error message:

Run-time error '10':
This array is fixed or temporarily locked.

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Cause

This behavior occurs if the following conditions are all true:

You create two macros, where one macro passes a variable to the other macro.

-and-
The variable that is passed to the other macro is an element of an array.

-and-
The second macro accepts the variable by reference, not by value.

-and-
The second macro uses the ReDim method to redimension the array.

NOTE: This behavior is a change from versions of Microsoft Excel earlier than Excel 97.

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Workaround

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The following workarounds assume that you created a Visual Basic module with the following code:

   Dim MyArray() As Integer

   Sub Macro1()     'The first macro
       ReDim MyArray(10)
       Macro2 MyArray(1)
   End Sub

   Sub Macro2(X)    'The second macro
       ReDim MyArray(20)
   End Sub

The array MyArray is initialized at the module level; so, it is available to all macros within the module. The first macro redimensions the array, and then passes an element of the array to the second macro. The second macro refers to the element in the array by reference, not by value.

NOTE: If you run Macro1, you receive the error message.

To prevent the problem from occurring, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

In the second macro, use the keyword ByVal to force the macro to refer to the element in the array by value, not by reference. For example, change the second macro to the following:

   Sub Macro2(ByVal X)    'Note the "ByVal" keyword.
       ReDim MyArray(20)
   End Sub

Method 2

Use an intermediate variable to pass the value from one macro to the other. For example, change the first macro to the following:

   Sub Macro1()
       ReDim MyArray(10)
       Z = MyArray(1)     'Set the intermediate variable value.
       Macro2 Z           'Run the second macro and pass the value.
   End Sub

By using an intermediate variable to send the value to the second macro, you prevent the second macro from referring to locations within the array's memory. You can then redimension the array without receiving an error message.

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More information

When you pass a variable from one macro to another macro in Microsoft Excel, the actual value of the variable is not passed between macros. Instead, a reference to the value's location in memory is passed; this is called passing a value by reference. You can also pass a value by value by using the keyword ByVal.

If you pass an element of an array from one macro to another by reference, and then attempt to redimension the array by using the ReDim method, you receive the error message in this article. This behavior occurs because the array's size is locked when a macro refers to it. Only when the reference is released can the array be redimensioned.

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