Getting error Multiple-step operation generated error - vba

Question

I am debugging some old code and I am getting error on this part
rs("country code").value = NullIfBlank(Request.Form("country code"))
The error says "Multiple-step operation generated errors. Check each status value."
I tried to understand what NullIfBlank means and to my understanding, I tried to rewrite the code this way:
If rs("country code").value Is Nothing Then
rs("country code").value = Request.Form("country code")
End If
now I am not getting an error when there is a value in rs("country code").value, but I get an error in this statement
rs("country code").value = Request.Form("country code")
My whole code looks like this
if request.form("submit")="Save Changes " or request.form("submit")="Save Changes to a New " then%>
<%
id = request.form("id")
if id is nothing then id = ""
cmd1.ActiveConnection = strconn
cmd1.CommandText = "FormBlankSpecial"
cmd1.CommandType = adCmdStoredProc
cmd1.Parameters.Append (cmd.CreateParameter("#id", adVarChar, adParamInput, 50, id))
rs.CursorLocation = adUseClient
rs.LockType = adLockPessimistic
rs.open (cmd1)
if cmd1.Parameters.count > 0 then
cmd1.Parameters.delete("#id")
end if
if request.form("submit")="Save Changes to a New" then
rs.addnew
rsmax.open ("FormBlankMax", strconn, adOpenKeyset, adLockPessimistic, adCmdStoredProc)
rs("idx").value=(1*zeroif(rsmax("maxid").value))+1
end if
' rs("country code").value = NullIfBlank(Request.Form("country code"))
' I keep getting error here
If rs("country code").value Is Nothing Then
rs("country code").value = Request.Form("country code")
End If
Below is the isnull function
Public Shared Function NullIfBlank(ByVal Str)
On Error Resume Next
NullIfBlank = ""
If Str = "" Then NullIfBlank = DBNull.Value Else NullIfBlank = Str
Return NullIfBlank
End Function
and the sql stored procedure looks like this
select isnull([Country Code], '') as [Country Code]
from testTable
when I do like this in sql statement
select [Country Code] as [Country Code]
from testTable
then I don't get that error.
any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

You have to understand:
Nothing is a special object that indicates that a variable that should contain an object does not. While that seems similar to n/Null pointers/references in other languages, you should not think "Null" when stumbling upon "Nothing".
Assigning an object (even this Nothing) to a variable needs Set in VBScript.
Null in VBScript is a special value that indicates that a variable that should contain a value does not. This is like Null in SQL.
(There is another special value to indicate not quite decent variable content in VBScript: Empty - it differs from Null in operations/comparisons.)
Assigning a value to a variable is done without Set in VBScript.
Vour:
id = request.form("id")
if id is nothing then id = ""
seems to read a string value from a form element into id. Then id is not an object and can not be compared to the Nothing object. Or you want to access the element/object - then you must use
Set id = request.form("id")
Your
If rs("country code").value Is Nothing Then
tries to check a database column value (probably a string) to the Nothing object. Depending on your column definition the field may contain Null - then you must check for Null (not Nothing):
If IsNull( rs("country code").value) Then
You should publish the NullIfBlank() function, because "Multiple Step" errors often point to SQL problems.