What does the phrase Compile error: "Invalid Outside procedure"

Question

I keep getting this message, Compile error: "Invalid Outside procedure" . I have no experience in coding, therefore could someone please explain this in layman's term.

Thanks,

JeanMarie

Answer 1

You have copy some lines of code into the editor without a "hull" => a Sub or Function

In other words, there are some lines not inside a sub / function.

Andreas.

Answer 2

A code module can consist of several sections.

At the top, you can have instructions that specify how the Visual Basic interpreter works. For example, the line

Option Explicit

means that you have to declare all variables that you use; referring to an undeclared variable will cause an error.

Next, you can declare variables and constants (and some other things) that can be used throughout the code module (or even in all modules in the same workbook). For example:

Const MyName="JeanMarie"

Dim StartDate As Date

Everything below that must be procedures (starting with Sub and ending with End Sub) and functions (starting with Function and ending with End Function). Lines of code that are not within either a procedure or a function will cause the error that you experience.

So for example this is OK:

Option Explicit

Const MyName="JeanMarie"

Dim StartDate As Date

Sub Test()

    MsgBox "Hello World"

End Sub

Function Triple(x As Long) As Long

    Triple = 3 * x

End Sub

But the following will cause an error because there is a line in between the procedure and the function:

Option Explicit

Const MyName="JeanMarie"

Dim StartDate As Date

Sub Test()

    MsgBox "Hello World"

End Sub

StartDate = Now ' This causes an error

Function Triple(x As Long) As Long

    Triple = 3 * x

End Sub