Comparing Strings

Summary: Macros often need to compare text strings in order to make some type of decision. If you don't do the comparison properly, you may not get the desired result. This tip explains how you can confidently compare strings to reduce the chance for error. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

It is not uncommon to compare strings in a macro. For instance, you may need to compare what a user typed with some pre-determined value. If you do this directly, you must take into consideration that the user may not have typed his (or her) string in the same way as you expected. Particularly vexing is the fact that they user may have mixed upper and lower case in their response.

The quickest and easiest way around this is to use either the UCase or LCase function on their input before you do the comparison. For instance, let's assume you prompt the user for the word "yes" to verify they want an action done. The following code will check the input, regardless of how the user typed it.

If LCase(UserIn) = "yes" then DoIt = True

The trick is to make sure your test string is either all uppercase or all lowercase, and then convert the user's input to that same case.

Tip #1124 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Comparing Strings