VB6 Invalid Use of New Keyword

Question

Why do I get the error Invalid use of New keyword when I write:

Dim obj As New ChilkatGlobal

Answer

In Visual Basic 6.0, there are two ways to use external components like ChilkatGlobal — but you must choose only one:

Option 1: Create the object in code using New

• Example:

  Dim obj As New ChilkatGlobal

Option 2: Use the component visually (drag onto the form)

• Do not use New in code
• Instead, go to Project → Components...
• Then drag the component from the toolbox onto the form

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Important Rule

Do not do both. If you both add a reference and drag the component onto the form, VB6 gets confused and you'll get errors like Invalid use of New keyword.

Best Practice for Chilkat Components

When using Chilkat in your application, you should always use the first approach:

✅ Add a Reference via Project → References...

❌ Do not drag-and-drop the component onto the form.

This ensures that you can create and manage Chilkat objects correctly using New in code, and avoid runtime errors.