XL2000: Function That Uses the ActiveCell Property Returns Incorrect Result

When you enter a formula that calls a custom function, the formula may return an incorrect result when you recalculate the worksheet. The formula returns the correct result only when you select the cell that contains the formula and then recalculate the worksheet. When you do this, other formulas that call the same custom function return the same result.

This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:

• The custom function uses the ActiveCell property.
  
  -and-
• The custom function uses the Volatile method to force the function to recalculate values each time that the worksheet is recalculated.

To see an example of this behavior, see the "More Information" section later in this article.

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When you use the ActiveCell property in a custom function in Microsoft Excel, the property returns the cell that is currently active. This is true even if the custom function is called by a formula in a worksheet cell.

The Caller property of the Application object returns the object that calls the function, regardless of the cell or worksheet that is active.

To demonstrate the behavior described in this article, follow these steps:

1. Create a new workbook.
2. In Sheet1 of the new workbook, enter the following values:

         A1: 1
         A2: 2
         A3: 3
         A4: 4
         A5: 5
   					

3. Start the Visual Basic Editor by pressing ALT=F11, insert a new Visual Basic module, and then type the following code into the new module:

   Function Test()
      Application.Volatile
      Test = ActiveCell.Offset(0, -1).Value
   End Function
   					

4. Switch to Sheet1. Enter the following formula into cell B1:
   =Test()
   NOTE: The formula returns the value 1. This is the correct value because the cell that is one column to the left of the active cell (B1) contains the value 1.
5. Select cell B1. On the Edit menu, click Copy. Select cells B2:B5. On the Edit menu, click Paste, and then press ESC.
   
   NOTE: All five formulas in B1:B5 return the value 2. This is true because the cell that is one column to the left of the active cell (B2) contains the value 2.
6. Select cell D10, and then press F9.
   
   All five formulas in B1:B5 return the value 0, because the cell that is one column to the left of the active cell (D10) contains no value, which is equivalent to having a value of 0.
7. If you want the function to always return the value of the cell that is one column to the left of the cell that is calling the function, change the function to the following:

   Function Test()
       Application.Volatile
       Test = Application.Caller.Offset(0, -1).Value
   End Function
   						

   When you change the function, and then recalculate the worksheet, the formulas in B1:B5 return the values 1 through 5 no matter which cell or worksheet is active.

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic forApplications, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: