Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Swapping Two Strings.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 4, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
If you do any serious macro programming, there will eventually come a time when you want to swap the values in two strings. In some versions of BASIC, there are commands that handle this, but there isn't in VBA. The following very simple technique should do the trick for most people:
TempString = MyString1 MyString1 = MyString2 MyString2 = TempString
When completed, the values in MyString1 and MyString2 have been swapped, and TempString doesn't matter, since it was intended (by this technique) as a temporary variable anyway.
If you prefer to not use a temporary variable (for whatever reason), you could use the following code to swap two strings:
MyString1 = MyString1 & MyString2 MyString2 = Left(MyString1, Len(MyString1) - Len(MyString2)) MyString1 = Right(MyString1, Len(MyString1) - Len(MyString2))
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10207) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Swapping Two Strings.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
When getting input from a user in your macro, it is often helpful to check characteristics of the input string. If you ...
Discover MoreDo you get tired of the dialog box that says "do you want to enable macros" that is displayed when you open a workbook. ...
Discover MoreImport information from a program external to Excel, and your numbers may be treated as text because of the way that the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-07-13 09:37:06
Willy Vanhaelen
Here is another shorter way to swap the strings without the temp variable:
MyString1 = MyString1 & Chr(0) & MyString2
MyString2 = Split(MyString1, Chr(0))(0)
MyString1 = Split(MyString1, Chr(0))(1)
I used the Chr(0) delimiter because I am sure this will never appear in a string.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments