VBA Function not returning HTMLElementCollection object - html

Question

I'm attempting to return a HTMLElementCollection from a function. However, function-wise everything works as it should, but when the code returns to the calling sub, the variable assigned to the Functions output, "myTable", shows "< No Variables >". I've tried passing the collection back as part of a scripting.dictionary but with the same result.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks all.
Sub updateReports()
'//Function gathers latest report information and adds to sheets("Reports")
'//URL
Dim strURL As String
strURL = "http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62103"
Dim myTable As HTMLElementCollection
Set myTable = getTable(strURL)
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
'From here on, "myTable" listed as '<No Variables>'.
'HTMLElementCollection not sucessfully returned.
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
End Sub
Public Function getTable(strURL As String) As Variant
'//Downloads HTML Table from strURL
'//Create HTTP Object
Dim oXMLHTTP As Object
Set oXMLHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.6.0")
oXMLHTTP.Open "GET", strURL, False
oXMLHTTP.send
Dim HTMLDoc As New HTMLDocument
If oXMLHTTP.Status = 200 Then
HTMLDoc.body.innerHTML = oXMLHTTP.responsetext
Set getTable = HTMLDoc.getElementsByTagName("tr")()
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
'Under "getTable" call stack, getTable shows correct object (HTMLElementCollection)
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
End If
End Function

Answer 1

After some testing, I think I figured it out what's going on... Try creating the HTMLDocument in the main sub (updateReports) and pass it to the getTable function through an byRef Argument. Also change the returning type of the function to HTMLElementCollection. Something like that:
Sub updateReports()
'//Function gathers latest report information and adds to sheets("Reports")
'//URL
Dim strURL As String
strURL = "http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62103"
Dim myTable As HTMLElementCollection
Dim HTMLDoc As New HTMLDocument
Set myTable = getTable(strURL, HTMLDoc)
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
'From here on, "myTable" listed as '<No Variables>'.
'HTMLElementCollection not sucessfully returned.
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
End Sub
Public Function getTable(strURL As String, ByRef HTMLDoc As HTMLDocument) As HTMLElementCollection
'//Downloads HTML Table from strURL
'//Create HTTP Object
Dim oXMLHTTP As Object
Set oXMLHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.6.0")
oXMLHTTP.Open "GET", strURL, False
oXMLHTTP.send
If oXMLHTTP.Status = 200 Then
HTMLDoc.body.innerHTML = oXMLHTTP.responsetext
Set getTable = HTMLDoc.getElementsByTagName("tr")()
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
'Under "getTable" call stack, getTable shows correct object (HTMLElementCollection)
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
End If
End Function
Let me know if this works out for you!