OFF95: Illegal Operation Using Binder OLE Automation Object

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you create an Office Binder OLE Automation object, and you add a Microsoft Excel worksheet section to the Binder without dimensioning the Microsoft Excel section as an object to hold a pointer in memory for the object. For example, when you run the following macro, you receive an Illegal Operation error in Microsoft Excel:

   Sub BinderExample()
      Dim myBinder as Object, y as String
      ' Create Binder object
      Set myBinder = CreateObject("Office.Binder")
      ' Add Microsoft Excel worksheet section
      myBinder.sections.Add Type:="excel.sheet.5"
      y = myBinder.sections(1).Object.Name
      y = myBinder.sections(1).Object.Name
   End Sub
				

When you run the macro above, the myBinder.sections.Add statement correctly adds a worksheet section to the Binder. However, there is no pointer in memory for this object. The first reference to this section object occurs without an error, but the second reference to this object causes Microsoft Excel to crash.

Note that the above example is not the only example that causes an Illegal Operation error in Microsoft Excel. Other examples may include commands similar to the following:

   myBinder.sections(1).Visible = False
   myBinder.sections(1).Visible = True
   myBinder.Sections(1).Object.Parent.Worksheets.Add
   myBinder.Sections(1).Object.Parent.Worksheets(1).Range("A1").Value = "1"
				

   Sub BinderExample()
      Dim myBinder as Object, XLSec as Object, y as String
      ' Create Binder object
      Set myBinder = CreateObject("Office.Binder")
      ' Add Microsoft Excel worksheet section
      Set XLSec = myBinder.sections.Add(Type:="excel.sheet.5")
      y = myBinder.sections(1).Object.Name
      y = myBinder.sections(1).Visible = True
   End Sub