The Problem (Q-score 17, ranked #18th of 95 in the VBA Core archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2012
I have defined a variable with an own type, say
Dim point As DataPoint
Public Type DataPoint
list as Collection
name as String
number as Integer
End Type
and I want to delete all values of the variable point at once. If it was a class, I would just use Set point = New DataPoint, or set Set point = Nothing, but how can I proceed if it’s a type?
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds strong answer (top 25 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — strong answer (top 25 %%) (+22)
3-line VBA Core pattern (copy-ready)
You can benefit from the fact that functions in VB have an implicit variable that holds the result, and that contains the default type value by default.
public function GetBlankPoint() as DataPoint
end function
Usage:
point = GetBlankPoint()
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #18th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 82% 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 2012 and 2026
The answer is 14 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.