How to initialize a multidimensional array variable in vba for excel - arrays

Question

The Microsoft site suggests the following code should work:
Dim numbers = {{1, 2}, {3, 4}, {5, 6}}
However I get a complile error when I try to use it in an excel VBA module.
The following does work for a 1D array:
A = Array(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
However I have not managed to find a way of doing the same for a 2D array.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

You can also use a shorthand format leveraging the Evaluate function and a static array. In the code below, varData is set where [] is the shorthand for the Evaluate function and the {...} expression indicates a static array. Each row is delimited with a ; and each field delimited with a ,. It gets you to the same end result as simoco's code, but with a syntax closer to your original question:
Sub ArrayShorthand()
Dim varData As Variant
Dim intCounter1 As Integer
Dim intCounter2 As Integer
' set the array
varData = [{1, 2, 3; 4, 5, 6; 7, 8, 9}]
' test
For intCounter1 = 1 To UBound(varData, 1)
For intCounter2 = 1 To UBound(varData, 2)
Debug.Print varData(intCounter1, intCounter2)
Next intCounter2
Next intCounter1
End Sub

Answer 2

The Microsoft site suggests...
This suggestion is for VB.NET but not VBA.
For VBA you were in the right direction. You can do this:
Dim A as Variant
A = Array(Array(1, 2), Array(3, 4), Array(5, 6))

Answer 3

Alternative via Application.Index()
Extending on Dmitriv Pavliv's use of a jagged array (and as alternative to Robin Mackenzie's short hand approach), you can go a step further by applying Application.Index() on this array of arrays (with identical number of elements each) - note the double zero arguments!:
Sub Get2DimArray()
Dim arr() As Variant
'a) build array of arrays (aka as jagged array)
arr = Array(Array(1, 2, 4), Array(4, 5, 6), Array(7, 8, 9))
'b) make it 2-dimensional
arr = Application.Index(arr, 0, 0)
End Sub
Results in
a 2-dim arr(1 To 3, 1 To 3), where
* Row 1 ~> 1|2|4
* Row 2 ~> 4|5|6
* Row 3 ~> 7|8|9
Related link
Further reading regarding Some pecularities of the Application.Index() function

Answer 4

So here you generate the array without anything on it, just by telling its dimensions.
Dimension is X+1 because 0 counts as a position in the array.
Dim MyArray(X, X) As Integer
Then you fill it by doing for exemple
MyArray (0,0) = 1
MyArray (0,1) = 2
MyArray (1,0) = 3
MyArray (1,1) = 4
...
And so on.
If you want a more convenient way of filling it you can use For Cycles if there is a inherent logic to the numbers you are filling it with.

Answer 5

In case the size is unknown until run time.
Dim nRows As Integer, nCols As Integer
...
Dim yourArray() As Integer
ReDim yourArray(1 to nRows, 1 to nCols) 'One base initialisation
'ReDim yourArray(0 to nRows - 1, 0 to nCols - 1) 'Zero base initialisation
Then you can initialise (or access) the grid as:
yourArray(1, 1) = ... 'set first cell