Forward compatibility - VBA written for Excel XP (2002) running in Excel 97

[Jacob]

Ok, so I am a new consultant given a PC w/ MS Excel XP (aka 2002)
loaded on it to write an app that includes VBA. Live day comes and I
learn that the Users are all running Excel 97. (Let's not get into the
version issue.)

So I just learned the hard way that Excel 97's VBA (version 8?) does
not support the VBA and Excel named types I used. For example,
although vbMsgBoxResult is a known type (I can see it in the Object
Browser), I get an 'Automation type not supported in Visual Basic'
dialog box.

Here is some of what the <Help> button displayed...
*****
Not all types are supported in Visual Basic. This error has the
following cause and solution:

· You tried to use a type in your program that has no equivalent in
Visual Basic for Applications. For example, Visual Basic has no pointer
or unsigned integer type, so if you try to create a variable of one of
those types from an object library, this error occurs. In the following
example that follows, even though Rainbow may be a valid structure,
Visual Basic can't create a variable of that type if it contains a type
Visual Basic doesn't recognize:

Dim MyVar As Rainbow ' Causes error.
*****

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Jacob Kornit

 

[Andy Wiggins]

Sounds as though you have a bit of a re-write on your hands.

I think the version issue needs to be raised, if only for you to defend
yourself. If your client provided you with the programming facilities then
it was safe for you to assume that the target users had the same software
versions. But, how did you get to "Live Day" without testing it on some
target users' machines?

--
Andy Wiggins FCCA
www.BygSoftware.com
Excel, Access and VBA Consultancy
-

Ok, so I am a new consultant given a PC w/ MS Excel XP (aka 2002)
loaded on it to write an app that includes VBA. Live day comes and I
learn that the Users are all running Excel 97. (Let's not get into the
version issue.)

So I just learned the hard way that Excel 97's VBA (version 8?) does
not support the VBA and Excel named types I used. For example,
although vbMsgBoxResult is a known type (I can see it in the Object
Browser), I get an 'Automation type not supported in Visual Basic'
dialog box.

Here is some of what the <Help> button displayed...
*****
Not all types are supported in Visual Basic. This error has the
following cause and solution:

· You tried to use a type in your program that has no equivalent in
Visual Basic for Applications. For example, Visual Basic has no pointer
or unsigned integer type, so if you try to create a variable of one of
those types from an object library, this error occurs. In the following
example that follows, even though Rainbow may be a valid structure,
Visual Basic can't create a variable of that type if it contains a type
Visual Basic doesn't recognize:

Dim MyVar As Rainbow ' Causes error.
*****

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Jacob Kornit

 

[Jacob]

Thanks for the quick reply. It was tested by Users on machines that
had XP on them. The bulk of the Users are on 97.

Right now I am more interested in the rewrite and getting to 'live'
than I am concerned about blame. The world over, oversights have
happen in the past, are probably happening right now and will continue
in the future.
JMK