Understanding Functions

Summary: Functions are a programming structure that allows you to calculate and return a result. They are extremely powerful, and are therefore commonly used in programming. This tip explains what they are, why you should use them, and how to create them. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

You already know that you can use subroutines in your macros. VBA allows you to define functions that can be used in your macros. The difference between functions and subroutines is that functions can return values, whereas subroutines cannot. Consider the following VBA macros:

Sub Macro1()
    TooMany = TestFunc
    If TooMany Then StatusBar = "Too many pages"
End Sub

Function TestFunc()
    TestFunc = False
    If Selection.Inforamtion(wdNumberOfPagesInDocument) > 10 Then
       TestFunc = True
    End If
End Function

This function returns either the value True or False, depending on a test it performs. The main program then acts upon the value returned. Notice that the function name can appear on the right side of an equal sign. This makes functions very powerful and an important part of any program. Within the function the result is assigned to TestFunc, which is the name of the function itself; this is the value returned by the function.

Tip #1535 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Understanding Functions