XL: Control Block Statement Error Messages

Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
Article ID: Q124887

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you attempt to execute a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro or procedure, you may receive one of the following error messages:

For without Next
Block If without End If
Do without Loop
While without Wend
Select Case without End Select

Microsoft Excel will also highlight part of your code in an attempt to indicate where the syntax error occurred. In some cases, the highlighted code may not match the syntax displayed in the error message.

CAUSE

The most likely cause for these error messages is that your code contains control block statements that are incorrectly nested. That is, a statement that begins a control block is used without the corresponding statement that ends the control block.

However, another less obvious situation may occur. That situation occurs when one block, for example block A, begins inside of another block, for example block B, but block A terminates outside of block B.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

Visual Basic supports the following five types of control block statements:

   For...Next
   Do While...Loop or Do...While Loop
   If...Else...End If
   While...Wend
   Select Case...End Select

In the above list of block types, the word or words preceding the ellipsis (...) begins a block, which is typically followed by one or more lines of macro code. These lines of code would then typically be followed by the word or words following the ellipsis(...), which comprises the end of a block.

Sample Visual Basic Procedures

Following is an example of a macro (Sub procedure) that causes an error:

   Sub BadNestingExample()
       If True Then
           For x = 1 To 5
       End If
       Next x
   End Sub

Note that the indentation used above is for illustration purposes only. The macro above may be indented in such a way that the blocks of control statements appear correct.

If you attempt to run the above macro, you will receive the "For without Next" error message. The correct form of the code is as follows:

   Sub GoodNesting()
       If True Then
           For x = 1 To 5
           Next x
       End If
   End Sub

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 7.00a XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5
Keywords : kbcode kbprg PgmHowto PgmLoop SynGnrl
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo

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Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
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