Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Creating a String.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 17, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
What do you do if you need a string of 80 equal signs or 25 spaces? Use the String() function. This macro function is used to create strings of repeating characters. Consider the following examples:
sFirst = String(25, 32) sSecond = String(25, " ") sThird = String(80, "=") sFourth = String(20, "=*")
The first and second lines are functionally the same; they both produce a string consisting of 25 spaces. In the first example, the ANSI value of 32 is used, which is the character-code value for a space. In the third line, the sThird string will be equal to 80 equal signs.
The fourth line produces a 20-character string of equal signs. This can be a bit frustrating to programmers familiar with other implementations of BASIC, as to them the last example should create a 40-character string of alternating equal signs and asterisks. (Under older versions of BASIC, the String() function concatenates whatever you designate, so one could expect this to create a 40-character string made up of 20 iterations of "=*". Not so in VBA.)
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3512) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Creating a String.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
One of the math functions you can use in your macros is the Int function. It provides a way for you to derive an integer ...
Discover MoreThe names you use for macros can affect what you see when you add those macros to a toolbar. This tip explains how you ...
Discover MoreWant to change the ToolTip that appears when you hover the mouse over a button on a toolbar? It's a bit more involved ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments