COOL! Thanks for the pointer. Bad form using Variants, but so be it... The Example: Sub Word_Read() Dim mytype As String Dim test As Integer Dim junk As Tag Set junk = gTagDb.GetTag("analog") 'open DDE link: testsol=DDE Topic RSIchan = DDEInitiate("RSLinx", "testsol") 'get data and store in data variable data = DDERequest(RSIchan, "N7:0") 'shows the variable type for data 'use the TypeName function and the Locals Window to determine 'the data type for the variable 'data' to determine it is an array. 'the line is not necessary for the script to run. mytype = TypeName(data) 'store the value from data into variable and tag test = data(1) junk.Value = data(1) 'close dde link DDETerminate (RSIchan) 'release memory for tag Set junk = Nothing End Sub The thing I can't understand is why I'm setting the junk variable. Is this simply used for a test? I am using the example this way: Sub Start() Dim lngRow As Long Dim varResults As Variant Dim strTestType As String Dim intDump As Integer Dim junk As Tag Dim intVar As Integer, intCount As Integer, _ intData As Integer, strData As String On Error GoTo Error Set junk = gTagDb.GetTag("test") 'opens a COLD DDE link RSIChan = DDEInitiate("RSLINX", "ENDRES") 'assign PLC bit values to VB variant varibles dumpqty = DDERequest(RSIChan, "C5:2.ACC") 'shows the variable type for data 'use the TypeName function and the Locals Window to determine 'the data type for the variable 'data' to determine it is an array. 'the line is not necessary for the script to run. strTestType = TypeName(dumpqty) ' Convert our variable into something usable intDump = dumpqty(1) junk.Value = dumpqty(1) 'close COLD DDE link DDETerminate (RSIChan) 'check to see if anything has been dumped If intDump > 0 Then For intCount = 0 To intDump 'starts at row 3 of sheet lngRow = 3 If Range("INDATA!A3").Value > 3 Then 'look up last cell and change position lngRow = Range("INDATA!A3").Value End If 'check until end of sheet For lngRow = lngRow To 65500 'look for next empty cell If Cells(lngRow, 1) = "" Then Exit For 'write current cell location to sheet INDATA 'rather than writing a loop to search on 'every cycle, by the time the log is at row 21,500 'it could take a long time to search the rows... Range("INDATA!A3").Value = lngRow + 1 'add 1 to row "x" to check next row Next 'opens a COLD DDE link RSIChan = DDEInitiate("RSLINX", "ENDRES") 'there might be a better way to do this like 'using this somehow ???????? but I don't know how 'data = DDERequest(RSIchan, "f11:0,L7,C7") 'Range("[ENDRES.xls]LOG!R[x]C1:R[x]C7").Value = data For intCount = 0 To intDump ' Fill in the TYPE Column intData = DDERequest(RSIChan, "N24:" & intVar) Select Case intData Case Is = 1 strData = "BREAD" Case Is = 2 strData = "PRETZEL" End Select Cells(lngRow, 1).Value = strData 'increment our var intVar = intVar + 1 'zero our data intData = 0 ' Fill in the Room Column intData = DDERequest(RSIChan, "N24:" & intVar) Select Case intData Case Is = 1 strData = "Mixing Room" Case Is = 2 strData = "Package Room" Case Is = 3 strData = "Oven Room" End Select Cells(lngRow, 2).Value = strData 'increment our var intVar = intVar + 1 'zero our data intData = 0 ' Fill in the Line intData = DDERequest(RSIChan, "N24:" & intVar) Select Case intData Case Is = 5 strData = "Other" Case Else strData = intData End Select Cells(lngRow, 3).Value = strData 'increment our var intVar = intVar + 1 'zero our data intData = 0 ' Fill in the Result Of Column intData = DDERequest(RSIChan, "N24:" & intVar) Select Case intData Case Is = 1 strData = "From Startup" Case Is = 2 strData = "From Shutdown" Case Is = 3 strData = "Normal Production" Case Is = 4 strData = "From R&D" Case Is = 5 strData = "From Change Over" Case Is = 6 strData = "Other" End Select Cells(lngRow, 4).Value = strData 'increment our var intVar = intVar + 1 'zero our data intData = 0 Next intCount 'close COLD DDE link DDETerminate (RSIChan) The installer of the panel supplied these instructions: Word 1 ( N24:0 ) = TOTE WEIGHT Word 2 ( N24:1 ) = PRODUCT TYPE, 1=bread / 2=pretzel Word 3 ( N24:2 ) = ROOM, 1=mixing / 2=packaging / 3=oven Word 4 ( N24:3 ) = LINE, 1,2,3,4,5 Word 5 ( N24:4 ) = RESULT OF, 1=startup / 2=shutdown / 3=normal 4=r&d / 5=change over / 6=other Then it starts over, counting Word 1 from N24:5, the weight. The rest of the code has been snipped, but I just want to check for an accumulated value in C5:2.ACC, and if it is more than 0, grab all the data in the "array" and push it into my spreadsheet. It seems that I have to do a var check for all of the PLC types of data? Thanks for looking!
