Undefined function 'Left' in expression

[Guest]

I'm getting a weird error message and I don't know when the problem started
or what I may have done to cause it. My database is just a contact
management database. I have a report that lists each contact with their
associated cell phone, home phone and email address. The error message I am
getting when I try to preview the report is "Undefined function 'Left' in
expression."

I have all the contacts grouped by last name. The only place on the report
where I use the 'Left' function is in the group header. It's just a label
that has the expression: =Left([lastname],1)

Although I don't believe that is what is causing my problem because if I
delete the label the error message persists. Another strange behavior is if
I open the database with Access XP it works fine. I only get the error
message in Access 2000. Unfortunately my work hasn't wanted to upgrade.

 

[Duane Hookom]

I copied and pasted your error message in Google Groups and got 69 exact
matches. Have you checked your references?

 

[Jeff Conrad]

in message:

I'm getting a weird error message and I don't know when the problem started
or what I may have done to cause it. My database is just a contact
management database. I have a report that lists each contact with their
associated cell phone, home phone and email address. The error message I am
getting when I try to preview the report is "Undefined function 'Left' in
expression."

I have all the contacts grouped by last name. The only place on the report
where I use the 'Left' function is in the group header. It's just a label
that has the expression: =Left([lastname],1)

Although I don't believe that is what is causing my problem because if I
delete the label the error message persists. Another strange behavior is if
I open the database with Access XP it works fine. I only get the error
message in Access 2000. Unfortunately my work hasn't wanted to upgrade.

It is a References problem. The arch-nemesis of Access is missing references.

To fix the References problem follow these steps:
- Open any module in Design view.
- On the Tools menu, click References.
- At least one Reference should say "Missing". WRITE down the one(s) missing.
- Click to clear the check box for the type library or object library marked as "Missing:."
- Close the References Window box.
- Open the References Window back up. Hopefully, nothing should say Missing this time.
- Now go find that library/project(s) in the list that was missing.
- If more than one were missing, find the others and check them as well.
- Close the References box again.
- Now re-compile again. Debug--Compile.
- Hopefully you should not see any more compile errors.

If you'd like to read more about References, here's more info than you could possibly ever want to
know:

http://www.accessmvp.com/djsteele/AccessReferenceErrors.html

http://allenbrowne.com.au/ser-38.html

http://www.trigeminal.com/usenet/usenet026.asp

http://www.papwalker.com/dllhell/index-page2.html

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/gem_tips1.html#DAOLibRef

References that you must set when you use Microsoft Office Access 2003:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=825796

ACC2002: References That You Must Set When You Work with Microsoft Access:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=283115

ACC2000: How Access 2000 Resolves Visual Basic for Applications References
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=248941

ACC2000: How to Resolve Reference Issues in an Access Database
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310803

List of the references that you must set when you work with Access 2000 or Access 97 database:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=197110

ACC97: References That You Must Set When You Work with Microsoft Access
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=175484

ACC: VBA Functions Break in Database with Missing References
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=160870