CompatibilityMode() Function

CompatibilityMode() function controls or queries runtime mode. It affects all code executed after setting or resetting the runtime mode.

Use this feature with caution, limit it to document conversion for example.

CompatibilityMode(Optional Enable As Boolean) As Boolean

CompatibilityMode function always returns the mode that is active after its execution. That is, if called with an argument, it returns the new mode; if called without an argument, it returns the active mode without modifying it.

Enable: Sets or unsets new compatibility mode when the argument is present.

CompatibilityMode function relates to Option VBASupport 1, in which case it always returns True. It is unrelated to Option Compatible compiler directive.

This function may affect or help in the following situations:

• Scoping of variables.

• Running RmDir command in VBA mode. In VBA only empty directories are removed by RmDir while Collabora Office Basic removes a directory recursively.

• Changing behavior of Basic Dir command. The directory flag (16) for the Dir command means that only directories are returned in Collabora Office Basic, while in VBA normal files and directories are returned.

• Color components calculation with the Red and Blue functions which are interchanged (The Green function is not affected).

Given a NOT empty directory at file:///home/me/Test

Sub RemoveDir
    MsgBox CompatibilityMode() ' False

    CompatibilityMode( True )
    RmDir( "file:///home/me/Test" )
    CompatibilityMode False

    MsgBox CompatibilityMode ' False
End Sub

With CompatibilityMode( True ) the program raises an error, otherwise the Test directory and all its content is deleted.

Modifying Dir behavior

Sub VBADirCommand
    CompatibilityMode( Enable := True )   ' Shows also normal files
    Entry$ = Dir( "file:///home/me/Tmp/*.*", 16 )
    Total$ = ""
    While Entry$ <> ""
        Total$ = Total$ + Entry$ + Chr$(13)
        Entry$ = Dir
    Wend
    MsgBox Total$
    CompatibilityMode Enable := False ' Shows only directories
End Sub