DisplayAlerts

[Howard Kaikow]

The Help for DisplayAlerts in Excel 2003 states:


"The default value is True. Set this property to False if you don't want to
be disturbed by prompts and alert messages while a macro is running; any
time a message requires a response, Microsoft Excel chooses the default
response.

If you set this property to False, Micorosoft Excel sets this property to
True when the code is finished, unless you are running cross process code.

When using the SaveAs method for workbooks to overwrite an existing file,
the 'Overwrite' alert has a default of 'No', while the 'Yes' response is
selected by Excel when the DisplayAlerts property is set equal to True."


However, when I set DisplayAlerts=False, the opposite effect occurs when I
use SaveAs, which is what I want.

Is the documentation wrong?

 

[Robert Bruce]

The Help for DisplayAlerts in Excel 2003 states:


"The default value is True. Set this property to False if you don't
want to be disturbed by prompts and alert messages while a macro is
running; any time a message requires a response, Microsoft Excel
chooses the default response.

If you set this property to False, Micorosoft Excel sets this
property to True when the code is finished, unless you are running
cross process code.

When using the SaveAs method for workbooks to overwrite an existing
file, the 'Overwrite' alert has a default of 'No', while the 'Yes'
response is selected by Excel when the DisplayAlerts property is set
equal to True."


However, when I set DisplayAlerts=False, the opposite effect occurs
when I use SaveAs, which is what I want.

Is the documentation wrong?

The programming default has been different to the GUI default for SaveAs for
as long as I have been using it (over ten years). So it looks like the
documentation (which is *really* badly written - how many times did you have
to read it to get its meaning?) is wrong.

--
Rob

http://www.asta51.dsl.pipex.com/webcam/

This message is copyright Robert Bruce and intended
for distribution only via NNTP.
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is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

The programming default has been different to the GUI default for SaveAs for
as long as I have been using it (over ten years). So it looks like the
documentation (which is *really* badly written - how many times did you have
to read it to get its meaning?) is wrong.

That's what I thought.

I'd be very wealthy if MSFT gave me a US dollar for each error I've found in
the KB or built-in documentation or ...! Their internal review
process/people are either incompetent or non-existent.

Not to mention each error that is blatantly not fixed in a future release of
the documentation, even when, say, a KB article points out that the
documentation is wrong. For example, I recently saw a KB article pointing
out that the built-in Help for a particular item was incorrect in Word 2000
VBA. You would think that they would have fixed that for the built-in Help
for Word 2002 and Word 2003. Well, they didn't.

Oh well, no point in discussing this further.
Bye bye!

 

[Robert Bruce]

I'd be very wealthy if MSFT gave me a US dollar for each error I've
found in the KB or built-in documentation or ...! Their internal
review process/people are either incompetent or non-existent.

....or just assume that no one actually reads the documnetation ;-)

--
Rob

http://www.asta51.dsl.pipex.com/webcam/

This message is copyright Robert Bruce and intended
for distribution only via NNTP.
Dissemination via third party Web forums with the
exception of Google Groups and Microsoft Communities
is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

When the displayalerts property is set to True, Excel does not make a
selection - you do. So the statement is correct as written except the last
word should be False. An obvious typo.

 

[Mike Fogleman]

I don't consider True to be a typo for False. "Fakse" is a typo for False.
True is just wrong.

When the displayalerts property is set to True, Excel does not make a
selection - you do. So the statement is correct as written except the
last
word should be False. An obvious typo.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

I am afraid I have to disagree, but apparently you and Howard don't make
such errors. I make them all the time. I stand in awe.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

I don't consider True to be a typo for False. "Fakse" is a typo for False.
True is just wrong.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

I am afraid I have to disagree, but apparently you and Howard don't make
such errors. I make them all the time. I stand in awe.

eye kneeveer maq tiepink errhers!

Of course, some folkes do ,ake typing errors.
The real issue is that MSFT does not correct them, even in future realeases,
when they know of the error.
Sufficient evidence is the KB article in which they admit an error in the
Word 2000 built-in Help, but did not fix in either a software update (heck,
there are no side-effects from fixing such errors) or in later versions of
Word.

At worst, this is incompetence at Microsoft, at best, arrogance!

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

I don't disagree with the things you state. However, this case is
particularly ironic. As I recall, the specialized/different behavior of
displayalerts (with regard to SAVEAS using other than the default choice)
that you refer to was not documented in previous versions of help (not sure
when it was added). This "problem" has come up many times in the newsgroup
where people frequently would refuse to try it as a recommended solution
because it was not the documented behavior. So, in this case, Microsoft
was reacting to a badly needed change. Unfortunately, they screwed it up
:-(


(wish I had a nickel for everytime someone had to say "Just try it").

 

[Robert Bruce]

As I recall, the specialized/different behavior
of displayalerts (with regard to SAVEAS using other than the default
choice) that you refer to was not documented in previous versions of
help (not sure when it was added).

It was added (with typo/blatant error - delete to taste) in Excel XP.

--
Rob

http://www.asta51.dsl.pipex.com/webcam/

This message is copyright Robert Bruce and intended
for distribution only via NNTP.
Dissemination via third party Web forums with the
exception of Google Groups and Microsoft Communities
is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Thanks for that detail!


To continue, just because this is an exciting and meaningful discussion <g>

Because it is so blatant . . .

If I read it, I would probably walk away with the correct information and
never really notice that the last word said True - since False is so obvious
and True doesn't make any sense. As I said, if True, Excel doesn't make any
choices. (so minimal damage)

I am sure Howard just wanted to share the discovery of the error (and
possibly it will be highlighted on his bugs page). I doubt there was a real
question here.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

I am sure Howard just wanted to share the discovery of the error (and
possibly it will be highlighted on his bugs page). I doubt there was a real
question here.

That was a foolish response.

Of course the question was real.

Using syntax that is not allowed by the online Help is potentially unsafe.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Get real.

You really don't understand that when displayalerts = True then excel does
not make the choice, it displays the dialog and you make the choice. A man
of your experience. You needed someone to interpret this for you?