Compile error invalid character

This is a weird problem with the VBE 6.5 in Office 2011, running natively on a Mac.

Sometimes, yet often, when I select a word by double clicking on it or a line by highlighting that line in the editor and then copy/paste it somewhere else in the code, the compiler throws the error «Compile error: Invalid character»

The thing is, what I see has been pasted is exactly the same as the source text. However, if I then paste the same clipboard item to a text editor, I can see that there is an ‘invisible’ character at the end of the string which is counted in the text editor
where the cursor is shifted past it but does not shown on the screen!!!

Back in the VBE, if I select a line that is dubious and drag it, the semi transparent dragged text has a ‘>’ character on a new line.

In some copy/paste cases, the compiler doesn’t see an error but the code doesn’t work as expected and I have spent hours debugging stuff that has invisible characters in it (the hardest debugging I’ve ever had to do!).

I’m not sure if this example will paste correctly into the forum but this looks like 19 characters but is in fact 20 as there is the offending copy/paste invisible character between ‘Test’ and ‘.’

<code>Test.Value = False</code>

This seems to be a major oversight in the code of the VBE 6.5 so are Microsoft aware of this and when is it due to be fixed?

Jamie.

I got a VB SCRIPT off the internet to create new mail alerts for secondary email accounts in Outlook(2010).

Now this is the first part of the code, and when running Outlook, it gives me the following error:

«Compile Error: Invalid Character»

The debugger underlines the _ character in the following line: «sndPlaySoundA» _

'On the next line change the file name and path of the sound you want to play.'
Public Const SOUND_TO_PLAY = "C:WindowsMediaSpeech On.wav"
Public Const SND_ASYNC = &H1

Public Declare Function sndPlaySound Lib "winmm.dll" Alias "sndPlaySoundA" _ 
(ByVal lpszSoundName As String, ByVal uFlags As Long) As Long Public Declare Function    MessageBox _
    Lib "User32" Alias "MessageBoxA" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
        ByVal lpText As String, _
        ByVal lpCaption As String, _
        ByVal wType As Long) _
    As Long


Function OpenOutlookFolder(strFolderPath As String) As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    ' Purpose: Opens an Outlook folder from a folder path.'
    ' Written: 4/24/2009'
    ' Author:  BlueDevilFan'
    ' Outlook: All versions'
    Dim arrFolders As Variant, _
        varFolder As Variant, _
        bolBeyondRoot As Boolean
    On Error Resume Next
    If strFolderPath = "" Then
        Set OpenOutlookFolder = Nothing
    Else
        Do While Left(strFolderPath, 1) = ""
            strFolderPath = Right(strFolderPath, Len(strFolderPath) - 1)
        Loop
        arrFolders = Split(strFolderPath, "")
        For Each varFolder In arrFolders
            Select Case bolBeyondRoot
                Case False
                    Set OpenOutlookFolder = Outlook.Session.Folders(varFolder)
                    bolBeyondRoot = True
                Case True
                    Set OpenOutlookFolder = OpenOutlookFolder.Folders(varFolder)
            End Select
            If Err.Number <> 0 Then
                Set OpenOutlookFolder = Nothing
                Exit For
            End If
        Next
    End If
    On Error GoTo 0
End Function

UPDATE: A new error has risen: (After I fixed the New line issue on line 1 after «sndPlaySoundA») as refered to by Adrian below)

«Compile Error Expected: End of statement» and the following word is highlighted: «Public»

UPDATE2: Next error:

Compile Error: User defined type not defined(For «Mailbox — supportdeskInbox»)

Dim objFM1 As FolderMonitor

Private Sub Application_Quit()
    Set objFM1 = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub Application_Startup()
    Set objFM1 = New FolderMonitor
    'Edit the folder path on the next line as needed.'
    objFM1.FolderToWatch OpenOutlookFolder("Mailbox - supportdeskInbox")
    End Sub

1. 03-02-2013, 11:29 AM

   
   

   #1

   

   
   Registered User
   

   

   ---

   compile error: invalid character — seems to be on the dollar sign
   

   When using …. FIND(» — $ «,A1) … within a macro, I get a compile error: invalid character and it highlights the $. Ultimately, I need the LEFT(A1,FIND(» — $ «,A1)).
   How can I find that string using a macro?

   ---

2. 03-02-2013, 11:33 AM

   
   

   #2

   Re: compile error: invalid character — seems to be on the dollar sign
   

   Find is a worksheet function and not a VBA function. Are you using it in a formula line? What does your entire code look like? That would be helpful. You may have to wrap the quotes in an additional set of quotes, but won’t know for sure until we see all the code.

   Alan

   ---

3. 03-02-2013, 11:34 AM

   
   

   #3

   Re: compile error: invalid character — seems to be on the dollar sign
   

   Is that part of a formula?

   If it is you need to double up the quotes.

   Can you post the rest of the code?

   If posting code please use code tags, see here.

   ---

4. 03-02-2013, 11:47 AM

   
   

   #4

   

   
   Registered User
   

   

   ---

   Re: compile error: invalid character — seems to be on the dollar sign
   

   Here is the formula =CONCATENATE(«$»,RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-(FIND(» — $ «,A1)+4)))

   This is the contents of A1: Anchor Communcations — Saint Charles — $ 15.00

   Here is my code in the macro:
   Range(«J1») = «=CONCATENATE(«$»,RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-(FIND(» — $ «,A1)+4)))»: Range(«J1»).Copy
   Range(«J1:J» & Range(«A» & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row).Select
   ActiveSheet.Paste:

   Results of J1 should be $15

   ---

5. 03-02-2013, 12:10 PM

   
   

   #5

   Like I said you need to double up the quotes.

   ---

6. 03-02-2013, 12:14 PM

   
   

   #6

   Re: compile error: invalid character — seems to be on the dollar sign
   

   Entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate

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TITLE EX_PROG
PAGE ,123
STACK SEGMENT PARA STACK 'STACK'
DB 64 DUP ('STACK')
STACK ENDS
DSEG SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'DATA'
SOURCE DB 10,20,30,40
DEST DB 4 DUP(?)
DSEG ENDS
SUBTTL 
PAGE 
CSEG SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'CODE'
ASSUME CS:CSEG, DS:DSEG, SS:STACK
OUR_PROG PROC FAR
PUSH DS
SUB AX,AX
PUSH AX
MOV AX,DSEG
MOV DS,AX
MOV DEST,0
MOV DEST+1,0
MOV DEST+2,0
MOV DEST+3,0
MOV AL, SOURCE
MOV DEST+3,AL
MOV AL, SOURCE+1
MOV DEST+2,AL
MOV AL, SOURCE+2
MOV DEST+1,AL
MOV AL, SOURCE+3
MOV DEST,AL
RET
OUR_PROG ENDP
CSEG ENDS
END OUR_PROG

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