Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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.
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, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Comparing Strings.
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2026-07-06 09:47:29
J. Woolley
When comparing strings as described in the Tip, consider trimming possible leading and/or trailing space characters:
If LCase(Trim(sUserIn)) = "yes" Then bDoIt = True
Notice VBA's Trim function removes any leading and trailing spaces but does not remove subsequent extraneous interior spaces. If that is necessary, use the following statement:
If LCase(WorksheetFunction.Trim(sUserIn)) = "yes" Then bDoIt = True
This invokes Excel's TRIM function which leaves only a single space between words after stripping space characters from the text's beginning and end.
In either case, the VBA statements can be simplified as follows:
bDoIt = (LCase(...) = "yes")
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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: 
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