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.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
One of the things you can do with macros is to work with disk files. As you do so, you may have a need to create a new ...
Discover MoreNeed to know the address of the cell that is currently selected? The function and macro highlighted in this tip will come ...
Discover MoreNeed a quick way to change the default drive and directory in a macro you are writing? Here's the commands to do it and a ...
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 © 2025 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