VBA - Proper method to initialize an array with string? - arrays

Question

I reviewed this question/answer here before writing this: Declare and Initialize String Array in VBA
I am trying to understand the proper way to declare and initialize an array WITHOUT resorting to data type VARIANT.
This is my code, and it does work as it is:
Function MakeLegalFilename(legalname As String) As String
Dim MyArray() As Variant
Dim x As Integer
MyArray = Array("<",">","?","#","%")
For x = LBound(MyArray) To UBound(MyArray)
legalname = Replace(legalname, MyArray(x), "", 1)
Next x
MakeLegalFilename = legalname
End Function
If I change "Variant" to "String," the code fails at MyArray = Array(... with a runtime error 13 type mismatch.
If I define the array size to match the number of characters in the string (5 total, but array starts at 0):
Dim MyArray(4) As String
MyArray = Array("<",">","?","#","%")
Now I get a compile error at MyArray = Array(... that says "Can't assign to array."
I know that I could declare the array this way and make it work (I tested it this way):
MyArray(0) = "<"
MyArray(1) = ">"
MyArray(2) = "?"
...
MyArray(4) = "%"
But if I am coding in a whole list of characters (say 20), then doing this is cumbersome, and plus, I would like to know why the other way doesn't work, since it suggests I have a fundamental misunderstanding. In it's most basic form, my question really is, why doesn't this:
Dim MyArray(4) As String
MyArray = Array("<",">","?","#","%")
work?
Thank you.

Answer 1

Array returns a Variant.
So you can't use it if you don't what a variant.
Split can split a string.
Split Function
Description
Returns a zero-based, one-dimensional array containing a specified number of substrings.
Syntax
Split(expression[, delimiter[, limit[, compare]]])
Put comma delimited string into split containing your characters.

Answer 2

Use a helper function:
Dim MyArray() As String
MyArray = StrArray("<", ">", "?", "#", "%")
...
Public Function StrArray(ParamArray args() As Variant) As String()
Dim i As Long
ReDim temp(UBound(args)) As String
For i = 0 To UBound(args)
temp(i) = args(i)
Next
StrArray = temp
End Function

Answer 3

To initialize static-size string array, use:
Dim MyArray(4) As String
MyArray(0) = "<"
MyArray(1) = ">"
MyArray(2) = "?"
MyArray(3) = "#"
MyArray(4) = "%"
To initialize dynamic-size string array, use:
Dim MyArray() As String
For i = 0 to 10
Redim Preserve MyArray(i) 'increase the size
MyArray(i) = Char(64 + i)
Next
For further information, please see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/wak0wfyt.aspx