Knowledge Base

PRB: Type Mismatch When Passing Variants to Word Using OLE

Article ID: 137096

Article Last Modified on 12/9/2003

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q137096

SYMPTOMS

When trying to pass a Variant data type to Microsoft Word using OLE automation, a "Type mismatch" error occurs. For example, if objVar is an object variable set to a Word.Basic object, and Text1 is some text box containing a string value, the following line of code generates the error: 
   objVar.Insert  Text1
This problem did not exist in Visual Basic version 3.0, so it must be taken into consideration when doing any code porting and/or upgrading.

RESOLUTION

To avoid this problem, the variable passed to Word must be explicitly typed. The previous example can be replaced by either of the following to prevent this error: 
   objVar.Insert Text1.Text

-or- 

   objVar.Insert CStr(Text1)

STATUS

This behavior is by design

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce and Correct Behavior

  1. Start a new project in Visual Basic 4.0. Form1 is created by default.
  2. Add a command button (Command1) and a text box (Text1) to Form1.
  3. Place the following code in the Command1_Click event procedure: 
          Dim objVar As Object
      Set objVar = CreateObject("Word.Basic")
      objVar.FileNew
      objVar.Insert Text1
      Set objVar = Nothing
  4. Press F5 to run the program.
  5. Click Command1. Error 13, "Type mismatch" is generated.
  6. Modify the code in the Command1_Click event procedure to this: 
          Dim objVar As Object
      Set objVar = CreateObject("Word.Basic")
      objVar.FileNew
      ' Notice that this is the only line changed
      objVar.Insert Text1.Text
      Set objVar = Nothing
  7. Repeat step 5. No error is encountered. Check Microsoft Word, and you will find a new document containing the word "Text1" (the value of Text1.Text).

Keywords: kbprogramming kbprb KB137096


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