Friday time-waster

[Ruddles]

Here's a tiny time-waster for a Friday which may push your understanding of VBA...


Paste the following code into the VBA Immediate window - or make it into a procedure if you're so inclined - and try to guess the outcome in advance:-<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>

[FONT=Courier New][COLOR=black][COLOR=black][FONT=Courier New]if 1 = 2 or 3 then msgbox "1 equals 2 or 3"[/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR][/FONT]

<o></o>
Was it what you were expecting?
<o></o>
<o></o>
Now try these:-<o></o>
<o>

 [COLOR=black][FONT=Courier New]if 7 = 99 or 1001 then msgbox "7 equals 99 or 1001"[/FONT][/COLOR]

</o>

[COLOR=black][FONT=Courier New]if (6 and 11) = 2 then msgbox "6 and 11 equals 2"[/FONT][/COLOR]

Hands up anyone who got them all right?

 

[JamesW]

Your OR's and AND's are all wrong

if 1 = 2 or 1 = 3 then msgbox "1 equals 2 or 3"

would be correct.

 

[RoryA]

Do you have a web cam? How do you know my hand is up?

 

[Norie]

Ruddles

Isn't that something to do with bitwise operations/logic?

 

[Ruddles]

Do you have a web cam?

Yes... why? Can you see me?!

How do you know my hand is up?

I just assumed it would be!

 

[Ruddles]

Isn't that something to do with bitwise operations/logic?

Yes indeed, but it also shows what happens when you're thinking If x = 99 Or x = 1001 but you actually code If x = 99 Or 1001. We've had a couple like that on the board in the last day or so.

 

[RoryA]

And the difference between:

1 = 2 or 3

and:

1 = (2 or 3)

 

[GTO]

I have not been staring at this the entire time (drooool...).

Okay, maybe I have. Ouch, my brain! I get that 2 OR 3 returns 3 (ie 10 OR 11 returns 11) but why are the parenthesis needed and what is happening in the first one to get 3 returned?

 

[RoryA]

The first one is effectively False Or 3 (where False = 0) so the result is 3.

 

[RoryA]

We've had a couple like that on the board in the last day or so.

I noticed that. It's funny how these things go in phases like that.