Based on String return Array in Access 2010 vba - vba

Question

I've been working on this for two days and thrashing around and here's where I am now.
Private Function SetColumns(sRptVer As String, iColumns() As Integer)
If sRptVer = "Q1" Then
iColumns(1) = 5 '<- Subscript out of range error here Hovering shows _
'"iColumns(1)=<Subscript out of range>"
iColumns(2) = 6
iColumns(3) = 7
iColumns(4) = 17
End If
If sRptVer = "Q2" Then
iColumns(1) = 5
iColumns(2) = 6
iColumns(3) = 7
iColumns(4) = 8
iColumns(5) = 9
iColumns(6) = 10
iColumns(7) = 17
End If
SetColumns = iColumns()
End Function
Private Sub Test2()
Dim iColValue() As Integer
Dim sRptVer As String
Dim iColumns() As Integer
sRptVer = "Q1"
iColValue() = SetColumns(sRptVer, iColumns())
For i = 1 To 10
Debug.Print iColValue(i)
Next i
End Sub
The goal is to be able to be able to pass a string designating the quarter and return an array that will serve to set the columns I will iterate over to get values out of an Excel spreadsheet. (I'm pulling data from Excel into Access).
I've tried starting with iColumns(0). No difference.
NOTE: Access vba does not like to set arrays like so iColumns()={1,2,3,4}. It balks at the "{}".
Access vba doesn't seem to like "ReDim" either, I get a compile error: Syntax error when I "redim icolumns() as Integer" in the SetColumns function.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You don't need two separate arrays in your calling procedure to do what you want. Try this instead:
Private Function SetColumns(sRptVer As String) As Integer()
Dim iColumns() As Integer
Select Case sRptVer
Case "Q1"
ReDim iColumns(1 To 4)
iColumns(1) = 5
iColumns(2) = 6
iColumns(3) = 7
iColumns(4) = 17
Case "Q2"
ReDim iColumns(1 To 7)
iColumns(1) = 5
iColumns(2) = 6
iColumns(3) = 7
iColumns(4) = 8
iColumns(5) = 9
iColumns(6) = 10
iColumns(7) = 17
End Select
SetColumns = iColumns
End Function
Private Sub Test2()
Dim sRptVer As String
Dim iColValue() As Integer
sRptVer = "Q1"
iColValue() = SetColumns(sRptVer)
Dim i As Integer
For i = LBound(iColValue) To UBound(iColValue)
Debug.Print iColValue(i)
Next i
End Sub
I made a few other changes:
I used ReDim to dynamically size the array based on the parameter passed to SetColumns.
I passed both lower and upper bounds to the array in the ReDim statement. Arrays in VBA are zero-bound by default*, so ReDim iColumns(4) is actually equivalent to ReDim iColumns(0 To 4).
Because we no longer know the size of the array ahead of time, I use the LBound() and UBound() functions to walk the array.
I changed your two If statements to a Select...Case statement. Based on your limited sample code that you provided this seemed appropriate. If your actual code is more complex, it may not be.
*NOTE: Unfortunately, you can change the starting array base in VBA using the Option Base statement. Please don't do this. Ever. You will only confuse yourself and others. If you want a specific array to start from 1 then be explicit when you Dim or ReDim the array as I showed in my example.