Assigning a string to an integer variable...why it "works" sometimes?

[ShawnW]

I have been using what's in Code Sample 2 (to be unveiled after Code Sample 1). Then while trying to figure out how stuff works, I wrote a tester Sub:

Code Sample 1:

Sub Ztest()

Dim inty As Integer
inty = Cells(1, 1)
MsgBox inty
If IsNumeric(inty) Then
    MsgBox "Numeric"
End If

End Sub

The above code gives me an error if I have a non numeric in A1. This is what I expect. Then why does the below code (which I wrote when i was naive...a few months ago) NOT give me the same error? You can see I even added a little MsgBox to talk to me AFTER it processes a non numeric. I have thrown random strings (asdfasd) at the following code without messing it up.

In Sample 1, I can change it to Variant, for example, and it works fine. But why does Sample 2 seem to be treating it as Variant? What's VBA doing that I'm not seeing?


Code Sample 2:

Dim current, bogey, status As Integer

For i = TR To BR

If Cells(i, RowCodeCol) > 0 And Cells(i, RowCodeCol) < 11 Then
    'reinitialize bogey, status to 0 for each row
    bogey = 0
    status = 0
    For j = 1 To iCount
        current = Cells(i, PNColumnArray(j))

        If Not IsNumeric(current) Then
            MsgBox current
            Exit Sub
        End If

Thanks

[tigeravatar]

current is a Variant. If you want it to be an integer, you need to explicitly state so in the Dim line:

Dim current as integer, bogey as integer, status as integer

Because you left out the type declaration, it defaulted to be a variant.

[tigeravatar]

To expand, here's a good explanation taken from here:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/DeclaringVariables.aspx

Pay Attention To Variables Declared With One Dim Statement

VBA allows declaring more than one variable with a single Dim statement. I don't like this for stylistic reasons, but others do prefer it. However, it is important to remember how variables will be typed. Consider the following code:

Dim J, K, L As Long

You may think that all three variables are declared as Long types. This is not the case. Only L is typed as a Long. The variables J and K are typed as Variant. This declaration is functionally equivalent to the following:

Dim J As Variant, K As Variant, L As Long

You should use the As Type modifier for each variable declared with the Dim statement:

Dim J As Long, K As Long, L As Long

[ShawnW]

Thank you both. Makes sense now. I didn't even think of that/know to think of it.