The VBA Val function is a built-in function and is primarily used to convert a text string that represents a number into an actual numeric value. The function is often used in combination with other string manipulation functions to extract numeric values from text-based data.
VBA Val Function – Purpose, Syntax and Arguments
Purpose:
The Val function is useful for handling data where numbers may be stored as text, such as when importing data from external sources or when working with user input. It allows for easy conversion of text values into numeric values, which can then be used in mathematical calculations or other data analysis.
Syntax:
Val(string)
Arguments:
- string (required): The text string that contains the number to be converted.
Example:
Suppose we have a list of product prices in a spreadsheet, but the prices are entered as text, such as “10.99” instead of 10.99. We can use the Val function to convert these values into numeric values, like so:
Dim price As Double
price = Val(Range("A1").Value)
In this example, the Val function will convert the text value in cell A1 to a numeric value and store it in the ‘price’ variable. We can then use this numeric value in calculations or further manipulate it in our code.
Remarks:
- The Val function will only return the first set of numbers in the text string. Any non-numeric characters at the end of the string will be ignored.
- If the text string does not contain any numbers, the Val function will return a value of 0.
- The Val function is not limited to just converting numbers with decimal points. It can also handle numbers written in scientific notation, such as “1.234E+05”.
- If the text string contains a mix of numbers and non-numeric characters, the Val function will stop at the first non-numeric character and return the numeric value up to that point.
Important Notes:
- The Val function is not limited to just numbers. It can also be used to convert true/false values or dates in a text format into their corresponding data types in VBA.
- The Val function can be used in conjunction with the ‘IsNumeric’ function to ensure that the text string being converted is indeed a valid numeric value.
Understanding VBA Val Function with Examples
Example 1: Basic Usage of Val Function
The Val function in VBA is used to convert a given value into a numeric datatype. It strips away any non-numeric characters from the input and returns the remaining numerical value. This can be helpful in cases where the input may contain a mix of alphanumeric characters and you need to extract only the numerical data.
Sub valFunctionDemo() Dim input as String input = "ABC123" MsgBox Val(input) End Sub
Explanation: In the above code, we have defined a string variable called “input” and assigned it a value of “ABC123”. We then used the Val function to convert this value into a numeric data type and display it in a message box using the MsgBox function. The result of this code will be a message box with the value “123” since the Val function strips away the non-numeric characters “ABC” from the input string.
Example 2: Handling Errors with Val Function
Description: The Val function can also be used to handle errors when converting a string to a number. If the input string contains non-numeric characters, the Val function will return a value of 0. This can be useful in cases where you need to handle erroneous inputs and display an appropriate message to the user.
Sub valFunctionDemo()
Dim input as String
input = "ABC123"
If Val(input) = 0 Then
MsgBox "Invalid input. Please enter a numeric value."
Else
MsgBox Val(input)
End If
End Sub
Explanation: In this example, we have used an If-Else statement to handle the scenario where the input string contains non-numeric characters. If the Val function returns a value of 0, it means that the input was invalid and we display an appropriate message to the user. Otherwise, the Val function will return the numerical value of the input string and display it in a message box.
Example 3: Using Val Function for Arithmetic Operations
The Val function can be used in combination with other arithmetic operations to perform calculations on numerical data extracted from a string. This can be helpful in cases where the input string represents a mathematical expression that needs to be evaluated.
Sub valFunctionDemo() Dim input as String input = "10 + 5" Dim num1 as Integer Dim num2 as Integer num1 = Val(Mid(input, 1, 2)) 'extracts the first number "10" from the input string num2 = Val(Mid(input, 6, 1)) 'extracts the second number "5" from the input string MsgBox "The sum of " & num1 & " and " & num2 & " is " & num1 + num2 End Sub
Explanation: In this example, we have a string variable “input” with the value “10 + 5”. We use the Mid function to extract the numerical values “10” and “5” from the input string and store them in two integer variables “num1” and “num2”. We then use the Val function to convert these variables to numbers and perform addition on them, displaying the result in a message box.
Example 4: Val function with Input from Cells
The Val function can also be used to extract numerical data from cells in a worksheet. This can be useful when working with a large dataset where some cells may contain mixed data.
Sub valFunctionDemo()
Dim dataRange as Range
Set dataRange = Range("A1:A10") 'assuming the input data is in cells A1 to A10
Dim cell as Range
For Each cell in dataRange
MsgBox Val(cell.Value)
Next cell
End Sub
Explanation: In this example, we have defined a range of cells “dataRange” which contains the input data. We then use a For loop to iterate through each cell in the range and use the Val function to extract the numeric data from the cells and display it in a message box. This will help in identifying any cells that may have non-numeric data and handle them accordingly.
Example 5: Val function in a User-Defined Function
The Val function can also be used in user-defined functions to perform customized operations on input data. This can be helpful in building complex calculations that require extracting numerical data from input strings.
Function calculateSum(input as String) As Integer Dim num1 as Integer Dim num2 as Integer num1 = Val(Mid(input, 1, 2)) 'extracts the first number from the input string num2 = Val(Mid(input, 4, 2)) 'extracts the second number from the input string calculateSum = num1 + num2 'returns the sum of the two numbers End Function
Explanation: In this example, we have defined a user-defined function “calculateSum” which takes in a string as its input. We then use the Val function to extract the numerical values from the input string and perform addition on them. The function returns the result as an integer datatype which can be used in other calculations or displayed to the user. This is just one example of how the Val function can be used in user-defined functions for customized operations.
Conclusion
The Val function in VBA is a useful tool for converting strings to numeric data types. It is versatile and can be used in various scenarios to perform calculations, handle errors, and extract numerical data from cells or user inputs. By understanding and using the Val function, you can make your VBA code more efficient and handle complex operations with ease. So next time you come across a scenario where you need to extract numerical data from a string, remember the Val function and make use of its powerful features.
