The Problem (Q-score 10, ranked #31st of 95 in the VBA Core archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2008
This declaration causes an overflow in VBA:
Const OVERFLOWS As Long = 10 * 60 * 60
whereas setting the value directly is fine:
Const COMPILES_OK As Long = 36000
How do you persuade VBA to treat literal integers as longs?
Thanks
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+13)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check VBA Core entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
Add the long suffix & to at least one number:
Const OVERFLOWS As Long = 10& * 60 * 60
Note that using the CLNG function to convert the values to long will not work, because VBA does not allow assigning the return value of a function to a constant.
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #31st in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 89% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2008 and 2026
The answer is 18 years old. The VBA Core object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.