Dissecting a String

Summary: When writing macros, you often need to slice and dice strings so you can determine their different parts. VBA provides three primary functions you use for this purpose, as described in this tip. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

If you have used BASIC before, you will be right at home with the string functions provided by VBA. The following table details the most common string functions and what they return.

Function		Comments
Left(Source, Count)		Returns the left Count characters of Source.
Mid(Source, Start [, Count])		Returns the portion of Source beginning with the Start character. If Count is supplied, then the result is limited to that many characters.
Right(Source, Count)		Returns the right Count characters of Source.

When working with these string functions, remember that the Source variable must be declared as a string in order for the functions to work properly.

Tip #1073 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Dissecting a String