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Visual Basic for Applications Reference

This array is fixed or temporarily locked (Error 10)

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Not all arrays can be redimensioned. Even arrays specifically declared to be dynamic and arrays within Variantvariables are sometimes locked temporarily. This error has the following causes and solutions:

  • You tried to use ReDim to change the number of elements of a fixed-size array . For example, in the following code, the fixed array FixedArr is received by SomeArr in the NextOne procedure, and then an attempt is made to resize SomeArr:

    Sub FirstOne
        Dim FixedArr(25) As Integer    ' Create a fixed-size array and
        NextOne FixedArr()    ' pass it to another procedure.
    End Sub
    
    Sub NextOne(SomeArr() As Integer)
        ReDim SomeArr(35)        ' Error 10 occurs here.
        . . .
    End Sub
    

    Make the original array dynamic rather than fixed by declaring it with ReDim (if the array is declared within a procedure), or by declaring it without specifying the number of elements (if the array is declared at module level).

  • You tried to redimension a module-level dynamic array, in which one element has been passed as an argument to a procedure. For example, in the following code, ModArray is a dynamic, module-level array whose forty-fifth element is being passed by reference to the Test procedure:

    Dim ModArray () As Integer    ' Create a module-level dynamic array.
        . . .
    
    Sub AliasError()
        ReDim ModArray (1 To 73) As Integer
        Test ModArray (45)    ' Pass an element of the module-level 
                                    ' array to the Test procedure.
    End Sub
    
    Sub Test(SomeInt As Integer)
        ReDim ModArray (1 To 40) As Integer  ' Error occurs here.
    End Sub
    

    There is no need to pass an element of the module-level array in this case, since it's visible within all procedures in the module. However, if an element is passed, the array is locked to prevent a deallocation of memory for the reference parameter within the procedure, causing unpredictable behavior when the procedure returns.

  • You attempted to assign a value to a Variant variable containing an array, but the Variant is currently locked. For example, if your code uses a For Each...Next loop to iterate over a variant containing an array, the array is locked on entry into the loop, and then released at the termination of the loop:

    SomeArray = Array(9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)
    
    For Each X In SomeArray
        SomeArray = 301    ' Causes error since array is locked.
    Next X
    

    Use a For...Next rather than a For Each...Next loop to iterate. When an array is the object of a For Each...Next loop, you can read the array, but not write to it.

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