VBA Environ Function

The VBA Environ function is used to retrieve information about the operating system environment or user-defined variables. It returns a string value, which can be used in various ways within a VBA code.

VBA Environ Function – Purpose, Syntax and Arguments

Syntax:

Environ(envstring | number)

Arguments:

• envstring: This is a string that specifies the name of the environment variable you want to retrieve. It’s case-insensitive. Example: “USERNAME” or “APPDATA”.
• number: Alternatively, you can use a number to specify the position of the environment variable. When you use a number, Environ retrieves the nth environment variable. Note that the order of environment variables may not be consistent across different machines or sessions.

Example:

Suppose we have a user-defined variable ‘username’ set as “John” in the Windows environment. We can retrieve this variable in our VBA code by using the Environ function as follows:

Dim user As String
user = Environ("username")
MsgBox "Hello " & user

The above code will display a message box saying “Hello John”. This is a simple example, but the Environ function can be used in more complex scenarios to retrieve various system information.

Dim firstEnv As String
firstEnv = Environ(1)
MsgBox firstEnv

Remarks:

• The Environ function is not case-sensitive, meaning “username” and “USERNAME” will return the same result.
• The function returns an empty string if the specified variable is not found or if it does not contain a value.
• If the specified variable name contains spaces, it needs to be enclosed within double quotes in the Environ function.
• The Environ function can also be used to retrieve other system information such as PATH, TEMP, COMPUTERNAME, etc.

Important Notes:

• The Environ function is only available in a Microsoft Office environment (Word, Excel, Access, etc.) and cannot be used in standalone VBA scripts.
• The Environ function can only retrieve information about the current system/user and cannot access information from other systems/users in a network.
• This function is not supported in Mac versions of Microsoft Office.

Understanding VBA Environ Function with Examples

Using Environ Function to Retrieve User’s Name

The Environ function in VBA is a extremely useful tool that allows the user to retrieve information about the operating system or environment. One of the common uses of Environ is to retrieve the name of the current logged-in user. This information can then be used in various applications such as creating personalized reports or customizing the user interface. Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the Environ function to retrieve the user’s name.

Dim userName As String
userName = Environ("Username")
MsgBox "Hello " & userName

In this example, we declare a variable called userName as a string. We then use the Environ function and pass in the argument “Username”. This argument represents the name of the current logged-in user. The Environ function then returns the value of the specified environment variable, which in this case is the user’s name. We then use the MsgBox function to display a message box with the string “Hello” followed by the userName variable, which contains the user’s name.

Using Environ Function to Retrieve Computer Name

Another common use of the Environ function is to retrieve the name of the computer that the VBA code is currently running on. This is helpful when creating applications that need to access specific files or folders on a particular computer. Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the Environ function to retrieve the computer name.

Dim computerName As String
computerName = Environ("ComputerName")
MsgBox "This code is running on " & computerName

In this example, we declare a variable called computerName as a string. We then use the Environ function and pass in the argument “ComputerName”. The Environ function then returns the value of the specified environment variable, which in this case is the name of the computer. We then use the MsgBox function to display a message box with the string “This code is running on” followed by the computerName variable, which contains the computer name.

Using Environ Function to Retrieve System Drive Letter

The Environ function can also be used to retrieve the drive letter of the system drive where the operating system is installed. This is useful when creating applications that need to access specific system folders or files. Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the Environ function to retrieve the system drive letter.

Dim systemDrive As String
systemDrive = Environ("SystemDrive")
MsgBox "The system drive is " & systemDrive

In this example, we declare a variable called systemDrive as a string. We then use the Environ function and pass in the argument “SystemDrive”. The Environ function then returns the value of the specified environment variable, which in this case is the drive letter of the system drive. We then use the MsgBox function to display a message box with the string “The system drive is ” followed by the systemDrive variable, which contains the drive letter.

Using Environ Function to Check for Existence of Environment Variable

In addition to retrieving information about the operating system or environment, the Environ function can also be used to check if a specific environment variable exists. This can be useful when creating applications that need to check for the presence of certain software or hardware on a computer. Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the Environ function to check for the existence of an environment variable.

If Environ("ProgramFiles(x86)") = "" Then
MsgBox "This computer does not have a 64-bit version of Windows."
Else
MsgBox "This computer has a 64-bit version of Windows."
End If

In this example, we use an If-Else statement to check if the environment variable “ProgramFiles(x86)” exists. If the Environ function returns an empty string, it means that the environment variable does not exist, and we display a message stating that the computer does not have a 64-bit version of Windows. If the Environ function returns a value, it means that the environment variable exists and we display a message stating that the computer has a 64-bit version of Windows.

Using Environ Function to Retrieve Specific Folder Path

The Environ function can also be used to retrieve the path of specific folders on the computer. This can be helpful when creating applications that need to access certain folders or files without having to hard-code the full path. Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the Environ function to retrieve the path of a specific folder.

Dim desktopPath As String
desktopPath = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Desktop"
MsgBox "The desktop path is " & desktopPath

In this example, we declare a variable called desktopPath as a string. We then use the Environ function and pass in the argument “USERPROFILE”. The Environ function then returns the value of the specified environment variable, which in this case is the path to the user’s profile folder. We then concatenate the desktop path (“\Desktop”) to the end of the user’s profile path using the ampersand (&) symbol. We then use the MsgBox function to display a message box with the string “The desktop path is ” followed by the desktopPath variable, which contains the full path to the desktop folder.

Conclusion

The Environ function in VBA is an extremely powerful and versatile tool that allows users to retrieve information about the operating system or environment. As demonstrated in the examples above, it can be used to retrieve the user’s name, computer name, system drive letter, and other useful information. It can also be used to check for the existence of environment variables and to retrieve specific folder paths. By understanding how the Environ function works and how it can be used, users can enhance the functionality and efficiency of their VBA applications.