Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

When you apply a custom AutoFilter to a Microsoft Excel list, it is possible to select the blank line above the equal sign in the drop-down list in the Custom AutoFilter dialog box. When you select this blank line, you receive the error message "Error in Parse Line."

This error message and the accompanying Help text are incorrect.

NOTE: In Microsoft Excel 97, there is no help text associated with this error message.

WORKAROUND

To select the blank values from a field in your list, place an AutoFilter on the list and select the "Blanks" item from the AutoFilter drop-down on the chosen field.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The Custom AutoFilter is designed to extract criteria using an operator (=, <>, >, and so on) to meet a certain condition from the field being queried. The error is displayed when the blank is selected because no condition is being met. The blank in the top drop-down box is necessary because it shares code with the blank in the second drop-down box; it also makes filtering easier and faster. It should not be available as an operand in the drop-down list and is not used to display blanks or null values.