VBA UCase Function

The VBA UCase function is a built-in string manipulation function that converts all alphabetic characters in a given string to uppercase. It is used to standardize text, making it easier to compare and manipulate data. The UCase function is a part of the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language, which is used to create applications within Microsoft Office programs such as Excel, Word, and Access.

VBA UCase Function – Purpose, Syntax and Arguments

Syntax

The syntax for the UCase function is as follows:

  UCase (string)

Where ‘string’ is the input string that needs to be converted to uppercase.

Arguments

The UCase function has only one argument, which is the ‘string’ argument. This argument is a mandatory input, and it accepts any valid string value. It can be a string literal enclosed in quotation marks, a string variable, or a reference to a cell that contains a string value.

• string: This argument is required and can be any valid string value.

Example

Suppose we have the following table in an Excel spreadsheet:
| A | B |
|———|——–|
| Name | Country|
| John | USA |
| Emily | Canada |
| Mark | UK |
| Rebecca | Australia|
If we want to convert all the names in column A to uppercase, we can use the UCase function in a formula in column C, as follows:

  =UCase(A2)

This will return “JOHN” in cell C2, and we can drag the formula down to apply it to the whole column, resulting in all the names being converted to uppercase.

Remarks and Important Notes

• The UCase function only converts alphabetic characters to uppercase and leaves all other characters unchanged.
• It is not case-sensitive, which means that it will convert lowercase letters to uppercase, but it will not change uppercase letters to lowercase.
• The UCase function only works with single-byte character sets, which means it may not correctly convert strings containing multibyte Unicode characters.
• The UCase function is the opposite of the ‘LCase’ function, which converts all alphabetic characters to lowercase.

The UCase function is a useful tool for manipulating text in VBA. It allows us to easily standardize data, making it more efficient to work with. By understanding its syntax, arguments, and important notes, we can use the UCase function effectively in our VBA projects.

Understanding VBA UCase Function with Examples

Example 1: Basic UCase Function Usage

Description: This example shows the basic usage of the UCase function. The function converts the specified string to uppercase letters.

Dim myString As String
myString = "hello"
myString = UCase(myString)
MsgBox myString

1. First, we declare a string variable named “myString” and assign it the value “hello”.
2. Next, we use the UCase function to convert the string to uppercase letters.
3. Finally, we use the MsgBox function to display the updated value of “myString”.

Explanation: The UCase function is a built-in VBA function that is used to convert a string to uppercase letters. In this example, we first declare a string variable named “myString” and assign it the value “hello”. Then, we use the UCase function to convert the string to uppercase letters and assign the updated value back to “myString”. Finally, we use the MsgBox function to display the updated value of the string, which is now “HELLO”. The UCase function is useful when dealing with user input or when comparing strings, as it ensures that the case of the letters does not affect the outcome.

Example 2: Using UCase with User Input

Description: This example shows how the UCase function can be used with user input. It prompts the user for a string and converts it to uppercase letters using the UCase function.

Dim myString As String
myString = InputBox("Enter a string:")
myString = UCase(myString)
MsgBox myString

1. First, we declare a string variable named “myString”.
2. Next, we use the InputBox function to prompt the user for a string and assign the input to “myString”.
3. Then, we use the UCase function to convert the string to uppercase letters and assign the updated value back to “myString”.
4. Finally, we use the MsgBox function to display the updated value of the string in uppercase letters.

Explanation: In this example, the UCase function is used with the InputBox function to prompt the user for a string and convert it to uppercase letters. The user input is assigned to the “myString” variable and then converted to uppercase letters using the UCase function. This is useful when dealing with user input as it ensures that the case of the letters does not affect the outcome.

Example 3: Using UCase with Loops

Description: This example shows how the UCase function can be used with loops. It loops through a range of cells and converts the values in those cells to uppercase letters using the UCase function.

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

1. First, we declare an integer variable named “i”.
2. Next, we use a For loop to loop through the range of cells from 1 to 10.
3. Within the loop, we use the Cells function to refer to the values in column 1 and row “i”.
4. Then, we use the UCase function to convert the values to uppercase letters before assigning them back to the cells.
5. The loop continues until it reaches 10, converting all the values in the specified range to uppercase letters.

Explanation: The UCase function can be especially useful when working with large datasets. In this example, the UCase function is used with a loop to loop through a range of cells and convert the values to uppercase letters. This can save time and effort when dealing with large amounts of data. The loop continues until it reaches the last cell, ensuring that all the values in the specified range are converted to uppercase letters.

Example 4: Combining UCase with InStr Function

Description: This example shows how the UCase function can be combined with the InStr function to search for a specific string and convert it to uppercase letters.

Dim myString As String
myString = "Hello, world!"
If InStr(myString, "hello") > 0 Then
    myString = UCase("hello")
End If
MsgBox myString

1. First, we declare a string variable named “myString” and assign it the value “Hello, world!”.
2. Next, we use the InStr function to search for the string “hello” within the value of “myString”.
3. If the string is found, the InStr function will return a value greater than 0 which triggers the “If” statement.
4. Inside the “If” statement, we use the UCase function to convert the string “hello” to uppercase letters.
5. Finally, we use the MsgBox function to display the updated value of “myString”.

Explanation: In this example, the UCase function is used in conjunction with the InStr function to search for a specific string and convert it to uppercase letters. The InStr function searches for the string “hello” in the value of “myString” and returns a value greater than 0 if it is found. This value triggers the “If” statement, which then uses the UCase function to convert the string “hello” to uppercase letters. This example shows the flexibility of the UCase function and how it can be used in combination with other functions to achieve desired results.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the UCase function is a powerful and useful tool in VBA that allows for easy conversion of strings to uppercase letters. It can be used in various ways, such as with user input, loops, and in combination with other functions, making it an essential function to understand for anyone working with VBA. By using the examples provided and experimenting with the UCase function, one can gain a better understanding of its usage and apply it in their own VBA projects.