XL: SEND.MAIL() Used in 5.0 Without Arguments May Cause Error

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Microsoft Excel 4.0 SEND.MAIL() macro function in a macro sheet in the Microsoft Excel versions listed at the beginning of this article, the macro halts and you receive the following error message:

   Macro error at cell: <cell reference>

CAUSE

In Microsoft Excel 4.0, the function works as described in the documentation: that is, =SEND.MAIL?() and =SEND.MAIL() are equivalent. However, in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0, 7.0, and 97, the functionality for the Visual Basic for Applications version of this command was changed and the Microsoft Excel 4.0 Macro language was changed to accommodate that modification. However, the documentation was not updated to reflect these changes.

The documentation should include the following information:

SEND.MAIL?()

No required parameters. Displays a dialog box.

SEND.MAIL()

Only required parameter is "recipients." Never displays a dialog box.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use SEND.MAIL?() instead of SEND.MAIL().

MORE INFORMATION

Based on the documentation, the SEND.MAIL() function does not require any arguments and should work correctly. In Microsoft Excel 4.0, SEND.MAIL() and SEND.MAIL?() have the same functionality and neither version requires arguments. In Microsoft Excel Visual Basic for Applications, the equivalent method, SendMail, requires arguments.