XL2000: Conditional Compilation Code Is Lost When You Save File as an Excel 5.0 File

If you save a Microsoft Excel 2000 workbook in the Microsoft Excel 5.0 Workbook file format, you lose any conditional compilation directives in your code.

NOTE: You are not warned about the loss of your code when you save your file in the 5.0 file format.

Conditional compilation directives are not used in earlier versions of Visual Basic for Applications and Microsoft Excel.

If you have already saved your file in the 5.0 file format, you must reenter your conditional compilation directives when you open your file in Microsoft Excel 2000.

If you have not yet saved your file in the 5.0 file format and you want to preserve your conditional compilation directives, either save your module as a .bas file (you can import it into other projects) or comment the conditional compilation directives, and then save your file in the 5.0 file format.

You can use conditional compilation, using the #If ... Then ... #Else directives, to run blocks of code selectively. This is typically used in cross-platform Sub procedures. The #If ... Then ... #Else directives evaluate expressions containing conditional compiler constants to determine what code to execute in the macro.

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The following macro (outlined in "Method 1" and "Method 2") provides an example of how to use the conditional compilation constants.

Method 1

To use the conditional compilation constants in a module, follow these steps:

1. Save and close any open workbooks, and then open a new workbook.
2. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press ALT+F11).
3. On the Insert menu, click Module.
4. Type the following code in the module:

   #Const test = 1
   Sub Cond_Comp()
       #If test Then
           MsgBox "test evaluates to True"
       #Else
           MsgBox "test evaluates to False"
       #End If
   End Sub    
   					

5. Run the Cond_Comp macro.
   
   Because the conditional compilation constant "test" has a value of 1, a message box will display the message "test evaluates to True."
6. Change the first line of code in the module to

   #Const test = 0
   						

   and then run the Cond_Comp macro. A message box will display the message "test evaluates to False."

Method 2

Conditional compilation constants can also be specified in the Project Properties dialog box instead of in a module. To use the conditional compilation constants in the Project Properties box, follow these steps:

1. Comment the first line in the module so that it looks like the following:

   '#Const test = 0
   					

2. On the Tools menu, click VBAProject Properties, and then click the General tab.
3. Type the following code in the Conditional Compilation Arguments box:

   test = 1
   					

4. Click OK, and then run the Cond_Comp macro.

Because the conditional compilation constant "test" has a value of 1, a message box will display the message "test evaluates to True."

NOTE: If you want to specify more than one conditional compilation constant in the Conditional Compilation Arguments box, use a colon (:) as a separator. For example, you would type the following into the Conditional Compilation Arguments box:

For more information about conditional compilation, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type understandingconditional compilation in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.