Knowledge Base

XL97: "Type Mismatch" Comparing String Variable to Boolean

Article ID: 157107

Article Last Modified on 11/23/2006

Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q157107

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, when you run a macro that runs successfully in an earlier version of Microsoft Excel, the following error message may appear:

Run-time error '13':
Type Mismatch

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the macro compares a string variable to a Boolean variable.

In Microsoft Excel 97, a variable that you define as a string type cannot be compared to the Boolean values True or False without generating a run- time error.

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, define the variable that you want to compare to a Boolean variable as Variant instead of String; a Variant variable can be compared to a Boolean variable without generating an error. For example, if the macro contains a line similar to the following:

   Dim S As String

replace it with the following line:

   Dim S As Variant

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

The following macro generates a type mismatch error in Microsoft Excel 97. However, it does not generate the error in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel:

   Sub Macro()

      Dim S As String

      ' Prompt for the user's name and place the value in string
      ' variable S.
      S = Application.InputBox("Enter Your Name:")

      ' If user clicks Cancel in the Inputbox, S is False. If S is
      ' False, exit the procedure.
      If S = False Then
         Exit Sub
      Else
         MsgBox S
      End If

   End Sub

The previous example fails with a type mismatch error at the following line

   If S = False Then

because the macro compares a string variable to the Boolean value False.

The following functions may return either a string or Boolean value:

Application.GetOpenFileName
Application.SaveAsFileName
Application.InputBox

To avoid the type mismatch error when you compare a variable to a Boolean value returned from these functions, define the variable as Variant.

Additional query words: XL97 8.00 8.0 vba vbe

Keywords: kbdtacode kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbprogramming KB157107