VBA MonthName Function

The VBA MonthName function is a useful tool for working with dates and date formatting. It is primarily used to convert numeric month values to the corresponding month name, making it easier to present dates in a readable format for users. It is available in all versions of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

VBA MonthName Function – Purpose, Syntax and Arguments

Purpose:

The purpose of the MonthName function is to convert numeric month values into their corresponding month names. This can be useful for creating more user-friendly interfaces, where dates are presented in a more readable format. It can also be used for data manipulation and analysis, where it is necessary to work with dates in a more readable form.

Syntax:

MonthName (Month, [Abbreviate])

Arguments:

• Month: This is a required argument that represents the numeric value of the month (1-12) for which you want to retrieve the name.
• Abbreviate: This is an optional argument that is used to specify whether the returned month name should be abbreviated to three letters (True) or not (False).

Example:

Suppose we have a spreadsheet with a column containing dates in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”. We want to create a new column that displays the month names instead of the numeric values. We can use the MonthName function in VBA to achieve this.

Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To 10
Cells(i, 2).Value = MonthName(Cells(i, 1).Value)
Next i

In this example, we are looping through the rows in column A (which contains the dates) and using the MonthName function to retrieve the corresponding month names. The results would be displayed in column B as follows:

Remarks:

• The MonthName function can only return month names in the current locale (the language and country/region setting for your system).
• If the ‘Abbreviate’ argument is set to True, the function will return an abbreviated month name with three letters (e.g. “Jan” for January). If it is set to False or left blank, the full month name will be returned.
• Month names are not case-sensitive, so both “January” and “january” would be valid inputs for the function.

Important Notes:

• The MonthName function is not limited to working with dates. It can also be used for any numeric value between 1 and 12. For example, MonthName(3) would return “March”.
• The MonthName function is not to be confused with the ‘Month’ function, which returns the numeric month value from a given date. For example, Month(12/05/2020) would return 5, while MonthName(12/05/2020) would return “December”.
• If the ‘Month’ argument’s value exceeds 12, or is less than 1, the function will return a #VALUE! error.

The VBA MonthName function is a useful tool for working with dates and improving the readability of user interfaces and data analysis tasks. Its simple syntax and optional arguments make it versatile and easy to use in a variety of different scenarios. Just remember to pay attention to the language and country/region setting of your system to ensure accurate month name outputs. Happy VBA coding!

Understanding VBA MonthName Function with Examples

Example 1: Basic Use

Description: The MonthName Function in VBA is used to return the name of the month from a given date. This function takes in two arguments, the month number and a boolean value specifying whether the returned name should be abbreviated or not.

MonthName(monthNumber, [abbreviation])

Explanation: The monthNumber parameter is a required argument and can be either a numeric value or a cell reference containing a date value. This argument represents the month number (1-12) for which the name needs to be returned. The abbreviation parameter is an optional argument that specifies whether the name should be abbreviated or not. By default, it is set to False meaning the full name of the month will be returned. If set to True, the abbreviated name will be returned.

1. Let’s say we have a date value in cell A1 as 7/1/2019. We can use the MonthName function to return the name of the month using the following formula: =MonthName(A1)
2. The above formula will return July as the result since 7 represents the month of July.
3. If we set the abbreviation parameter to True, the formula will change to: =MonthName(A1, True)
4. The result will now be Jul, the abbreviated form of the month name.

Example 2: Using MonthName with a For Loop

Description: The MonthName function can be used within a For loop to generate a list of all the months in a year. This can be helpful when working with monthly data or when creating monthly reports.

For i = 1 To 12
    monthName = MonthName(i)
    Debug.Print monthName
Next i

Explanation: In this example, we are using a For loop to iterate through the numbers 1 to 12, representing the 12 months in a year. Inside the loop, the MonthName function is used to return the name of the month for each iteration. The returned name is then stored in the monthName variable and printed using the Debug.Print statement.

1. The output of this code will be a list of all the months in a year, starting from January to December.

Example 3: Using MonthName with Date Functions

Description: The MonthName function can also be used in combination with other date functions to perform calculations or manipulations on dates. In this example, we will use the MonthName function to find the last day of a given month.

dateValue = #6/15/2019#
monthName = MonthName(Month(dateValue))
lastDay = DateSerial(Year(dateValue), Month(dateValue) + 1, 0)
Debug.Print "The last day of " & monthName & " is " & lastDay

Explanation: In this code, we have a date value stored in the dateValue variable. First, we use the MonthName function to get the name of the month from this date value and store it in the monthName variable. Next, we use the Month and Year functions to extract the month and year from the date value. Using these values, we use the DateSerial function to create a new date value for the last day of the given month. This is achieved by adding 1 to the month number and setting the day parameter to 0. The 0 in the day parameter represents the last day of the previous month. Lastly, we use the Debug.Print statement to display the result in the immediate window.

1. If we run the above code, the result will be The last day of June is 6/30/2019.
2. This code can be modified to work for any given date by simply changing the dateValue variable to a different date.

Example 4: Using the MonthName Function with Excel Data

Description: The MonthName function can also be used with data from Excel cells. In this example, we will use the MonthName function to create a dynamic report that shows the month name based on the month number entered in a cell.

monthNumber = Range("A1").Value
monthName = MonthName(monthNumber)
Range("B1").Value = monthName

Explanation: In the above code, we have a cell A1 that contains the month number. We first assign this value to the monthNumber variable. Next, we use the MonthName function to get the name of the month from the given number and store it in the monthName variable. Finally, we use the Range object to enter the month name in cell B1. This code can be modified to fit any worksheet and can be used to create dynamic reports.

1. If we enter a month number (any number from 1 to 12) in cell A1, the code will return the corresponding month name in cell B1.

Example 5: Using MonthName with International Dates

Description: The MonthName function can handle international date formats as well. When used with international dates, the function will return the name of the month in the language set in the computer’s regional settings.

dateValue = #15-6-2019#
monthName = MonthName(Month(dateValue))
Debug.Print monthName

Explanation: In this example, we have a date value in the format dd-mm-yyyy stored in the dateValue variable. The MonthName function will return the name of the month in the language set in the regional settings. For example, if the language set is English (United Kingdom), the result will be June. Whereas, if the language set is Spanish, the result will be junio, the Spanish word for June.

1. This example showcases the versatility and adaptability of the MonthName function, making it suitable for international use.

Conclusion

The MonthName function in VBA is a useful tool for working with dates and performing date-related operations. It can be used in various scenarios, ranging from basic use to more complex calculations. Understanding how to use this function can help streamline and simplify tasks involving dates, adding efficiency to VBA coding.