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: Comparing Strings.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 23, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
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 the 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(sUserIn) = "yes" then bDoIt = True
The trick is to make sure your test string is either all upper or all lower case, and then convert the user's input to that same case.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11704) 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: Comparing Strings.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
You can create macros that are automatically executed whenever certain events occur within a worksheet. This tip details ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to specify the RGB (red, green, and blue) value for any color used in a cell. Here's a quick way to see ...
Discover MoreNeed to use a macro to select a specific cell in a different workbook? It's not as straightforward of a proposition as ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-05-30 08:03:59
Alex B
You will also often see this to achieve the same thing
If StrComp(sUserIn, "yes", vbTextCompare)) = 0 then bDoIt = True
I don’t why but many programmers seem to prefer this method.
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