Auric__ submitted this idea :
GS wrote:

For clarity...

Firstly, my reply wasn`t meant for you! Sorry.., my bad!
Secondly, I wasn't stating a hard rule, only my opinion! In hindsight
it would have been better had I started out with...

"I suggest to always use a variant...because..."

However, be it that you are absolutely correct in your example, there
are uses that VB[A] will convert for us. As programmers we would know
when/where. I was trying to convey to the many non-programmers here
that using a variant obviates any and all chances of a type error being
raised.

Ok, that makes sense. I withdraw my argumentative post. ;-)

Perhaps my MsgBox example wasn`t a good choice since it happens that VB
does convert that too.<g In the case of InputBox a string is returned.
In the case of MsgBox an Integer (contrary to my claim of Long) is
returned.

Actually, it's kind of interesting. This:

MsgBox VarType(MsgBox("test", vbYesNoCancel))

...tells me that the return type is Long (vartype 3)... but the definition
in VBAEN32.OLB is like so:

short _stdcall MsgBox(
[in] VARIANT* Prompt,
[in] VARIANT* Buttons,
[in] VARIANT* Title,
[in] VARIANT* HelpFile,
[in] VARIANT* Context);

On Windows, a C "short" is usually 16 bits, a.k.a. Integer. So it looks
like Windows is taking that short and putting it into a 32-bit var before
returning it (which I guess is typical for Windows), then VB(A) does its
usual magic and makes the result fit where it's needed.

I suppose it's left over from the 16-bit versions of VB. (In VB4 16-bit,
the above vartype line says that MsgBox is indeed an Integer, vartype 2.)

This is more or less what I was eluding to when I said VB[A] converts
returns to fit the function. I think it's really great that you made
the extra effort to better explain some of the nuances most VBA users
wouldn't be aware of since (typically) they do not have the programming
background we do.

I usually make the vartype match the definition of the function, especially
with API calls. If the function is declared Long, chances are I'm assigning
it to a Long, not a Variant. (Assuming I'm catching the return value at
all, of course.)

I do the same, usually. The exception would be if the calling procedure
expects/needs a variant for further processing the return. It's
entirely dependant on the 'nature-of-the-beast', IMO!

Well... I can't say I've ever expected a string from a msgbox. ;-)

Well.., that wouldn't make sense and so I concur<g!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
Classic VB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion