Visual Basic for Applications:
Finding the length of a string

How to:

In VBA, the Len function is your go-to for finding the length of a string. It returns an integer representing the number of characters in a specified string. Here’s a straightforward example to illustrate this function:

Sub StringLengthDemo()
    Dim exampleString As String
    exampleString = "Hello, World!"
    ' Find and display the length of the string
    MsgBox Len(exampleString) ' Displays: 13
End Sub

In the snippet above, Len(exampleString) evaluates to 13, which is then displayed using MsgBox.

For more practical application, consider a scenario where you’re iterating through a collection of strings, processing them based on their length:

Sub ProcessStringsBasedOnLength()
    Dim stringCollection(2) As String
    Dim i As Integer
    
    ' Example strings
    stringCollection(0) = "VBA"
    stringCollection(1) = "Visual Basic for Applications"
    stringCollection(2) = "!"

    For i = LBound(stringCollection) To UBound(stringCollection)
        If Len(stringCollection(i)) > 5 Then
            MsgBox "Long String: " & stringCollection(i)
        Else
            MsgBox "Short String: " & stringCollection(i)
        End If
    Next i
End Sub

This code will classify each string in stringCollection as “Long String” or “Short String”, depending on whether its length is greater than 5 characters.

Deep Dive

The Len function in VBA has its roots in early BASIC programming, providing a simple, yet effective means for handling string manipulation tasks. Over the years, as programming languages evolved, many developed more sophisticated tools for working with strings, such as regular expressions and comprehensive string manipulation libraries.

However, within the context of VBA, Len remains a fundamental and highly efficient solution for determining string length—partly because of VBA’s focus on ease of use and accessibility over the complexity of operation. While languages like Python or JavaScript offer methods like .length or len() built directly into string objects, VBA’s Len function stands out for its straightforward application, particularly beneficial for those just venturing into the world of programming from fields like data analysis or office automation.

It’s worth noting that while the Len function is generally sufficient for most scenarios involving string length determination in VBA, alternative methods might be needed for more complex manipulations involving Unicode strings or handling strings with a mix of different character sets. In these cases, other programming environments or additional VBA library functions may offer more robust solutions. Nonetheless, for the vast majority of tasks within the realm of VBA, Len efficiently gets the job done, continuing its legacy as a staple of string manipulation.