Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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.
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, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Swapping Two Strings.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!
Make your macros too long, and Excel may just refuse to run them at all. This tip explains what the limit is for macros, ...
Discover MoreDoes your macro need to change the width of some columns in a worksheet? Here's how to do it.
Discover MoreIf you have static columns and dynamic columns on the screen, you may want the dynamic columns to always show a ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-01-10 01:59:51
Rick Rothstein
Similar to Micky's method for eliminating the need for a temporary variable, but using the Replace function instead of the Split function...
Sub Swap_2_Variables1_Without_TempVar()
Dim Var1 As String, Var2 As String
Var1 = "ABC": Var2 = "CBA"
Var1 = Var1 & Var2
Var2 = Replace(Var1, Var2, "")
Var1 = Replace(Var1, Var2, "")
MsgBox "Variable Var1 was swapped to: " & Var1
MsgBox "Variable Var2 was swapped to: " & Var2
End Sub
2014-11-22 13:34:23
Michael (Micky) Avidan
No need for a temporary variable.
Try:
Sub Swap_2_Variables1_Without_TempVar()
Var1 = "ABC": Var2 = "CBA"
Var1 = Var1 & "," & Var2
Var2 = Split(Var1, ",")(0)
Var1 = Split(Var1, ",")(1)
MsgBox "Variable Var1 was swapped to: " & Var1
MsgBox "Variable Var2 was swapped to: " & Var2
End Sub
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 © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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