Expected Expression Error: Dynamic Array Not OK in User- Type

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Start a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. From the File menu, choose New Module.
3. Add the following code to the new module, MODULE1.BAS:

      Type newinfo
         tarray() as string  'Gives "Expected: Expression" error on ()
         numstores As Long
      End Type
   						

4. Edit the line containing tarray(). Then select any other line. The automatic syntax checker in Visual Basic correctly highlights the () and gives the following error:
   Expected: Expression
   Running the program by pressing the F5 key also correctly reports this syntax error.
5. To correct this programming error, add a number of array elements in the empty parentheses. For example, change tarray() to tarray(10). This changes the array from dynamic to static.

Visual Basic interprets the empty parentheses in tarray() in the Type statement as a declaration of a dynamic array. Visual Basic does not allow dynamic arrays to be declared within a user-defined Type ... End Type statement block. The parentheses () must contain a number to indicate the number of elements in a static array.

How to Make a Dynamic Array of User-Defined Type

1. Start a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. From the File menu, choose New Module.
3. Add the following code to the new module, MODULE1.BAS:

      Type newinfo
         tarray(20) As String  'Static array declared in user-defined type
         numstores As Long
      End Type
   						

4. Double-click Form1 to display the form's code window. Add the following to the form load event:

      Sub Form_Load ()
         ' Use ReDim to declare or redimension a dynamic array:
         ReDim arrayx(20) As newinfo  'Make dynamic array of user-defined type
         arrayx(18).tarray(12) = "Ruby slippers"       ' Assign value.
         arrayx(18).numstores = 999                    ' Assign value.
         form1.Show  ' In load event, must Show form before Print can work.
         Print arrayx(18).tarray(12)   ' Print value.
         Print arrayx(18).numstores    ' Print value.
      End Sub
   						

NOTE: You cannot change the number of elements in static arrays at run time, but you can use the ReDim statement to change the number of elements in dynamic arrays.