Variant array error

[Daniel Duta]

For almost a month, after a few updates made by the IT team, I have been facing some issues with variant arrays in the vb6 IDE. Simply I cannot longer assign a variant variable to the well known ADO method GetRows. Each time when I try to get the ADO function's result as below the whole vb6 project crashes severely skipping the error handling procedure.

Dim myArr() As Variant
myArr = rec.GetRows

I mention that this annoying error does occur only in the debugging mode, once the project is compiled everything goes well. Does anyone know what update caused this error? Is there any work around to fix it? My OS is Windows 10 vers.1809 and personally I suspect the updates KB4558997 and KB4558998 installed at the end of July.

[Elroy]

I don't use the ADO that much, but I looked at the MSDN, and the example for GetRows doesn't declare a variant array. Rather, it just declares a regular variant, and then puts the array returned by GetRows into that single variant.

Here's the example, and here's the reference to GetRows.

What gave me the clue is that the GetRows MSDN says it returns a value with a 2D array.

-----

EDIT: Just to talk it through a bit more, an array of variants is quite different than a variant containing array. In fact, you could have an array of variants with each variant in the array containing an array.

In this GetRows case, it seems you need a single variant (not an array) to contain the array that's returned.

[dilettante]

Sounds like a bug that was patched long ago. I think we had a discussion on that here back a couple of years ago. You seem to be very far behind on updates.

Windows 10 has been at 2004 now for months.

Just tried a test case and it works here. Maybe you can track down the discussion thread. It may list the offending patch(es) and subsequent hotfix patch. That or get it in gear and catch up on almost 2 years of updates. Then fire your "IT team" who clearly spend too much time out smoking on the loading dock texting girlfriends.

[Daniel Duta]

I don't use the ADO that much, but I looked at the MSDN, and the example for GetRows doesn't declare a variant array. Rather, it just declares a regular variant, and then puts the array returned by GetRows into that single variant.

Here's the example, and here's the reference to GetRows.

What gave me the clue is that the GetRows MSDN says it returns a value with a 2D array.

-----

EDIT: Just to talk it through a bit more, an array of variants is quite different than a variant containing array. In fact, you could have an array of variants with each variant in the array containing an array.

In this GetRows case, it seems you need a single variant (not an array) to contain the array that's returned.

ADO library, at least in my computer has 6 different versions and it is in the windows environment for decades. I don't know how you used to get data from a recordset, perhaps looping through it but for sure even you declare a variant as variable or as array the GetRows method returns a bidimensional array - even you have as result a single value. The idea is the error doesn't depend on how the variant is declared but on some hidden modifications made by MS in the OS. It would be interesting to know how these updates caused this particular error.

[Daniel Duta]

Sounds like a bug that was patched long ago. I think we had a discussion on that here back a couple of years ago. You seem to be very far behind on updates.

Windows 10 has been at 2004 now for months.

Just tried a test case and it works here. Maybe you can track down the discussion thread. It may list the offending patch(es) and subsequent hotfix patch. That or get it in gear and catch up on almost 2 years of updates. Then fire your "IT team" who clearly spend too much time out smoking on the loading dock texting girlfriends.

Hello Dilletante, I am glad to found you here active as always and ready to give us a help. Unfortunately the OS updates and patches are under the IT team management and it is really surprising that the latest version is 2004 and we still stay on 1809. Have you succeeded to find out which patch fixed this error? Because I will try to install it myself. Thank you.

[Eduardo-]

This thread talks about the issue.

[Daniel Duta]

This thread talks about the issue.

Those discussions do not have a clear conclusion. At least I installed the kb4512534 and the issue remained. But, meanwhile, I have noticed something interesting. This error is somehow related to Forms. If I run my lines from a module using a Main routine (without any Form in the project) everything goes without any errors...

[dilettante]

Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim Rows As Variant
    Dim Row As Long
    Dim Col As Integer
    
    With New ADODB.Recordset
        .Open "[Sample.txt]", _
              Replace$("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" _
                     & "Data Source='$PATH$';" _
                     & "Extended Properties='Text'", _
                       "$PATH$", _
                       App.Path), _
                       adOpenStatic, _
                       adLockReadOnly, _
                       adCmdTable
        Rows = .GetRows(adGetRowsRest)
        .Close
    End With
    For Row = 0 To UBound(Rows, 2)
        For Col = 0 To UBound(Rows, 1)
            Print Rows(Col, Row),
        Next
        Print
    Next
    Print "That's all, folks!"
End Sub

Sample.txt:

Column A, Column B
aaa, bbb
Aaa, Bbb
AAA, BBB

Change:

    Dim Rows() As Variant

Same results.

[dilettante]

I'm digging a lot but still have not found a specific patch for this issue.

[Eduardo-]

Those discussions do not have a clear conclusion. At least I installed the kb4512534 and the issue remained. But, meanwhile, I have noticed something interesting. This error is somehow related to Forms. If I run my lines from a module using a Main routine (without any Form in the project) everything goes without any errors...

In short, my conclussion, to avoid any such possible problem, avoid using code that can produce variant arrays without elements.

Did you already tried changing the variable from variant array to a single variant as pointed above by Elroy?

[dilettante]

ADO library, at least in my computer has 6 different versions...

This is a common misconception. Microsoft wrote an old KB article explaining this way back around 1999.

Ever since the very early Win95 days there is only one ADO core library (ADODB) on the system: msado15.dll. There are compatibility typelibs that define older interfaces implemented by this DLL in addition to the latest set of interfaces, which it contains an embedded typelib for.

There is one ADODB and a set of "masks" it can wear so older programs can still work. Those false faces point to appcompat adapters within msado15.dll.