VBA: Expected Array Error despite No Arrays

Question

In a sub I've made in VBA, which is executed everytime the worksheet changes, the sub calls a function to determine if the user has deleted or changed something they shouldn't have. The function returns a boolean value to tell the sub if such a critical value has been deleted/edited. This way, the sub knows not to continue executing code.

However, whenever the code executes, VBA returns a Compile Error: Expected array error for the calling of the criticalDataIntact() function, despite there being no arrays used.

Here's my relevant code,

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal target As Range)
    Worksheets(CONFIG).usedRange 'Refresh UsedRange
    Dim criticalDataIntact As Boolean: criticalDataIntact = criticalDataIntact()

    If Not criticalDataIntact Then
        Exit Sub
    End If

    'Irrelevant code
End Sub

Private Function criticalDataIntact() As Boolean
    Dim criticalDataIntact As Boolean: criticalDataIntact = True
    Set warnWorkloadCell = ThisWorkbook.cell(CONFIG, WARNING_WORKLOAD, 0, 0)
    Set dangerWorkloadCell = ThisWorkbook.cell(CONFIG, DANGER_WORKLOAD, 0, 0)
    Dim table3Exists As Boolean: table3Exists = tableExists("Table3")

    If warnWorkloadCell = Null Or dangerWorkloadCell = Null Or table3Exists = False Then
        criticalDataIntact = False
    End If
End Function

The cell function outputs an error message via MsgBox and returns Null if it couldn't find a cell with a specific value in it within a specific worksheet.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

• Consider renaming your CriticalDataIntact function to IsCriticalDataIntact .
• If your Worksheets(CONFIG) worksheet is the same worksheet containing the Worksheet_Change code, consider replacing Worksheets(CONFIG) with Me .
• If you don't refer to your criticalDataIntact variable anywhere else in your Worksheet_Change subroutine (ie anywhere in the "irrelevant code"), consider removing the variable and just using the return value directly.

Based on the above, your Worksheet_Change routine might look something like:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal target As Range)
    Worksheets(CONFIG).UsedRange ' Doesn't this give you a syntax error? If this is the same worksheet as the worksheet storing this procedure, consider using Me.UsedRange -- although maybe there a better alternatives to UsedRange.

    If Not IsCriticalDataIntact() Then
        Exit Sub
    End If

    'Irrelevant code
End Sub

• Consider Option Explicit at the top of the module. I say this because your CriticalDataIntact function contains seemingly undeclared variables: warnWorkloadCell , dangerWorkloadCell (unless these are non-local variables).

• I don't have access to your custom function cell , but presume it is a member of ThisWorkbook for you. Consider changing the name cell to something more descriptive

• Regarding cell function's return type, you've said it returns either a Range or Null . That sounds like Variant behaviour (my understanding is only Variants can store Null in VBA). But I think this will lead to invalid syntax at the call site, since you can't Set a Variant to Null (as far as I know).
• Sounds like what you want is for the return type to be Range -- and if a Range can't be returned, Nothing will be returned (which you can still test for).
• Based on the above, a better name for your custom function cell might be GetCellOrNothing .

So your function might look something like:

Private Function IsCriticalDataIntact() As Boolean

    Dim warnWorkloadCell As Range ' Declare if a local variable.
    Set warnWorkloadCell = ThisWorkbook.cell(CONFIG, WARNING_WORKLOAD, 0, 0) ' Consider renaming to "GetCellOrNothing" -- depending on how much work that is for you.

    Dim dangerWorkloadCell As Range ' Declare if a local variable.
    Set dangerWorkloadCell = ThisWorkbook.cell(CONFIG, DANGER_WORKLOAD, 0, 0) ' Consider renaming to "GetCellOrNothing" -- depending on how much work that is for you.

    Dim table3Exists As Boolean
    table3Exists = tableExists("Table3")

    IsCriticalDataIntact = table3Exists And Not ((warnWorkloadCell Is Nothing) Or (dangerWorkloadCell Is Nothing)) 

End Function

Untested.

Answer 2

Remove the () after criticalDataIntact otherwise you have said criticalDataIntact = variant variable as the criticalDataIntact() is an implicit variant variable with name criticalDataIntact. That is the source of your error.

Dim criticalDataIntact As Boolean: cIntact = criticalDataIntact '<remove the () which is implicit variant

Then to avoid confusing compiler, use a differently named variable to hold the return value

Dim cIntact As Boolean: cIntact = criticalDataIntact

This

If warnWorkloadCell = Null Or dangerWorkloadCell = Null Or table3Exists = False Then
    criticalDataIntact = False
End If

Can become

criticalDataIntact = Not (IsNull(warnWorkloadCell) Or IsNull(dangerWorkloadCell) Or table3Exists = False)

and remove need for local boolean. Personally, I would change table3Exists to tableNotExists and make necessary changes inside that function so I could do

criticalDataIntact = Not (IsNull(warnWorkloadCell) Or IsNull(dangerWorkloadCell) Or table3NotExists)

I can't see your cell method so I don't know what it is returning but for objects I would do a If Not x Is Nothing normally or If x Is Nothing .