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[HOWTO] Solve “Number of indices exceeds the number of dimensions of the indexed array” compilation errors caused by Redim statements that change the array rank

VB6 permits to dynamically change the rank (i.e. the number of dimensions) of an array, as in this code snippet:

    ' this array can have 1 or 2 dimensions
    Dim arr() As Integer
       
    Sub InitArray(ByVal rank As Integer)
         Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
        
         If rank = 1 Then
             ReDim arr(100) As Integer
             For i = 1 To UBound(arr)
                 arr(i) = i
             Next
         Else
             ReDim arr(100, 20)
             For i = 1 To UBound(arr)
                 For j = 1 To UBound(arr, 2)
                     arr(j, i) = i * j
                 Next
             Next
         End If
    End Sub

VB.NET and C# don’t allow you to change the rank of an array, therefore the converted .NET code would raise one instance of the following error:

Number of indices exceeds the number of dimensions in the indexed array

for each statement where the array is accessed with two indexes. These is no definitive solution to this problem, however VB Migration Partner allows you to significantly decrease the number of this compilation error, using a combination of pragmas:

    '## ParseReplace Dim arr() As Integer, arr2() As Integer
    Dim arr() As Integer
    '## arr2.ArrayRank 2
    '## PreProcess "arr(?=\([^,)]+,[^,)]+\))", "arr2"
    '## PreProcess "(?<=(LBound|UBound)\()arr(?=,)", "arr2"

An explanation of each pragma is in order. The ParseReplace pragma causes VB Migration Partner to realize that there are actually two arrays (arr and arr2) and the ArrayRank pragma specifies that arr2 is a 2-dimensional array. The first subsequent PreProcess pragma changes arr into arr2 if the array reference is followed by two indexes that are separated by a comma – as in arr(1,2) - whereas the second PreProcess pragma changes array references that appear in LBound and UBound method calls. The neat result is:

    ' VB.NET
    Private arr() As Short
    Private arr2(,) As Short

    Public Sub InitArray(ByVal rank As Short)
       Dim i As Short
       Dim j As Short

       If rank = 1 Then
          ReDim arr(100)
          For i = 1 To UBound6(arr)
             arr(i) = i
          Next
       Else
          ReDim arr2(100, 20)
          For i = 1 To UBound6(arr)     ' << wrong
             For j = 1 To UBound6(arr2, 2)
                arr2(j, i) = i * j
             Next
          Next
       End If
    End Sub
    // C#
    private short[] arr = null;
    private short[,] arr2 = null;

    public void InitArray(short rank)
    {
       short i = 0;
       short j = 0;

       if (rank == 1)
       {
          arr = new short[101];
          for (i = 1; i <= VB6Helpers.UBound(arr);i++)
          {
             arr[i] = i;
          }
       }
       else
       {
          arr2 = new short[101, 21];
          for (i = 1; i <= VB6Helpers.UBound(arr); i++)     // << wrong
          {
             for (j = 1; j <= VB6Helpers.UBound(arr2, 2); j++)
             {
                arr2[j, i] = i * j;
             }
          }
       }
    }

As you see, all occurrences have now been fixed correctly, except for the statement marked with a remark. You can fix that single issue manually or by slightly editing the original VB6 code as follows:

        For i = 1 To UBound(arr, 1)

It’s interesting to notice that the ParseReplace and PreProcess pragmas perform their chores before VB Migration Partner parses the VB6 code. This is important because VB Migratio Partner can correctly deduce the rank of array parameters of method that receive those arrays.

 

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