Vbscript Error: Illegal Assignment: 'shell' Using Appactivate

My OS is Windows XP Pro SP3

How can I combine these two VBScripts, StartYahoo.vbs and MinYahoo.vbs into one VBScript,
StartYahooMin.vbs without getting an "Illegal Assignment 'shell" Error from the line below?

set shell = createobject("wscript.shell"

These two scripts when run as separate vbs files work fine.,

StartYahoo.vbs:

'START Yahoo Messenger
 sub shell(cmd)
 dim objShell
 Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
 objShell.Run(cmd)
 Set objShell = Nothing
 end sub
 
shell """C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe"""

MinYahoo.vbs:

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
 WshShell.popup "MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger", 5
 
'MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger
set shell = createobject("wscript.shell")
shell.AppActivate "Yahoo! Messenger"
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% r"  '...restore
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize

But produces an error when combined into one vbs file,

StartYahooMin.vbs:

'START Yahoo Messenger
 sub shell(cmd)
 dim objShell
 Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
 objShell.Run(cmd)
 Set objShell = Nothing
 end sub
 
shell """C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe"""
 
wscript.sleep 25000
 
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
 WshShell.popup "MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger", 5
 
'MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger
set shell = createobject("wscript.shell")
shell.AppActivate "Yahoo! Messenger"
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% r"  '...restore
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize
 
wscript.sleep 1000
success = shell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then shell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize

Windows Script Host Error:
-----------------------------
Script: C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\StartYahooMin.vbs
Line: 17
Char: 1
Error: Illegal assignment: 'shell'
Code: 800A01F5
Source: Microsoft VBScript runtime error

Thank you and I will appreciate your help.

NOTE:
I realize I can just call "StartYahoo.vbs" from code added to the beginning of
MinYahoo and that is what I currently do using this:

Set WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WSHShell.Run """C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Y\StartYahooVBS.vbs""",  True

I was given this working code by "PHV" who posted the complete
code with his modifications here:
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1670345



'START Yahoo Messenger
sub shell(cmd)
dim objShell
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
objShell.Run(cmd)
Set objShell = Nothing
end sub

shell """C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe"""

wscript.sleep 25000

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.popup "MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger", 5

'MINIMIZE Yahoo Messenger
'''''set shell = createobject("wscript.shell")
WshShell.AppActivate "Yahoo! Messenger"

wscript.sleep 1000
success = WshShell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then WshShell.sendkeys "% r"  '...restore

wscript.sleep 1000
success = WshShell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then WshShell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize

wscript.sleep 1000
success = WshShell.appactivate("Yahoo! Messenger")
if success then WshShell.sendkeys "% n"  '...minimize

You get the error because you define a function and a variable with the same name ("shell"):

sub shell(cmd)
 '...
end sub
'...
set shell = createobject("wscript.shell")