Use Named Range in UDF - excel

Question

I'm trying to create a UDF that will use a named range. My named range ("best_Grade") is a single cell, with a value. (The named range is scoped to the Workbook).
In a workbook module, when I try to create the variable using a named range, I get
Run-time error '1004': Method of 'Range' of object '_Global' failed
Neither line works:
Dim namedRng As Range
Dim locDataWS As Worksheet
Set locDataWS = Sheets("Approval matrix 16")
Set namedRng = Range("best_Grade") ' errors
Set namedRng = locDataWS.Range("best_Grade") ' When I take above line out, this line errors too
and I've tried:
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
Set namedRng = wb.Names("best_Grade").RefersToRange
How come it's erroring out? This page says it should be working, no? Do I have to put this UDF on the actual sheet object, and not in a workbook module?
Edit: Note: the named range is not set to a cell, but a SumIf formula (best_Grade = SumIf(A2:A10,"x",...)` which may be causing the error?
Edit2: Yeah, that's why I think. I created a named range for a random cell, and was able to use Range("a_grade").Value and it returned the expected value. Since my best_Grade range is a formula, I think that's why it's erroring out. However, I don't know why, as I'd think a named range is a named range, no matter what it's made up of...
Edit n+1: Note there are two "answers" to this. If I wanted to continue using a named range as a Range variable, see my answer below. However, what I really wanted to do was what #MacroMarc posted, so I chose that as the "Answer".

Answer 1

You need to use the Names collection instead:
Sub t5()
' named range "Test" is `=Sum($A$1:$A$4)`
Dim rng As Double
rng = Evaluate(Names("Test").Value)
Debug.Print rng
End Sub
There are various properties that Name objects have to return string representations.

Answer 2

Sub t5()
' named range "Test" is `=Sum($A$1:$A$4)`
Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
Dim rng As String
rng = wb.Names("Test").RefersTo
Debug.Print rng
rng = Application.Evaluate(wb.Names("Test").RefersTo)
Debug.Print rng
End Sub
After some testing I found the above worked...and kind of interesting. I got the lead from Macro Man's comment as well at Chip Pearson post.
The key is the defined names returns a string ="your result" so you can either evaluate it to get the answer, or you can do some string manipulation to pull off the quotes and equal sign. You really were close with your RefersToRange choice.
See Vegard's comment under your own posted answer.

Answer 3

The reason it wasn't working is because my named range best_Grades was not a cell reference, but a formula instead. Thus, when using Range("best_Grades").Value, it was erroring out. (best_Grades = SumIf(A2:A10,"x", B2:B10, ...)
Not sure why, since I'd think a named range is a named range, regardless of what makes that up...but I suppose not.
For now, my solution is just to create another named range, based on an actual cell value, and then use that. (theBest_Grades = A2). Then, I can call simply Range("theBest_Grades").Value without any issues.
I'll leave this open for a few days, in case someone has an idea of how I can keep my formula named range, and use that in VBA.
Edit: This was basically how I originally had the worksheet/named range:
with the named range being given as:
But, as I said, you can't use that type of named range in VBA (at least not that I have found).
So, to solve it, I just used that SumIf in the cell, and gave that cell the named range:
And now I can use Range("findWindow_Example").Value without issue.
Edit n+1:
I tried doing a simple test with a Double, same thing though, it errors out:
Sub t5()
' named range "Test" is `=Sum($A$1:$A$4)`
Dim rng As Double
rng = Range("Test") 'Run time error 1004
Debug.Print rng
End Sub

Answer 4

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that a ground rule for UDF's is broken here IMHO:
ALL information a UDF needs should be passed to the UDF through its arguments.
If you adhere to that rule, using any range name becomes simple, since the value of the range name will automagically be transferred to the argument.

Answer 5

The correct way to solve the problem has been found by more than one answerer, but as I said in the comments (and subsequently, thought might be of interest to others), the reason for the error wasn't specified yet.
The named range you defined does not return a range object. This means that this code:
Dim namedRng As Range
Set namedRng = Range("best_Grade")
couldn't possibly work (primarily because the named range returns a numerical value. If it returned a string address representation, it might have worked with some syntax improvements).
To illustrate this from the compiler's point of view, look at the print-outs in the immediate window here (the first line in particular):
If we assume the initial code to be pseudo-code, what was being asked of the compiler was to construct a range out of the formula (not its' result either!).
So if we swap Set namedRng = Range("best_Grade") for Set namedRng = Range(Names("namedRange")) the result might presumably (but not necessarily -- see end of post!) look like:
Set rng = Range("=SUMIF('Ark1'!$B$1:$B$5, "x", 'Ark1'!$A$1:$A$5)")
And of course, this would not work. But throwing namedRange into an Evaluate would, as the other answers demonstrate, be perfectly legal!
Interestingly, if we do ? Evaluate(Names("namedRange")) (omitting the .Value), we get an Error 2015, despite being able to ask the compiler ? Names("namedRange") and get a string in return!