Microsoft KB Archive/148396

= ACC: How to Strip Extra Characters from a String =

Article ID: 148396

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 1.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 1.1 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 2.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q148396



Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.



SUMMARY
This article shows you how to create a custom function to strip extra characters from a string. This function is useful in a situation where the value in a field contains too many spaces between names or has other formatting problems.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft Access version 2.0



MORE INFORMATION
To create the custom function to strip extra characters from a string, follow these steps:  Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section if it is not already there:

Option Explicit

  Type the following procedure: Function StripExtraChars (PassedStr, RemoveExtraChar$) On Local Error GoTo StripExtraChars_Err Dim i As Integer, GotChar As Integer Dim HoldStr As String, HoldChar As String ' Exit if passed value is Null. If IsNull(PassedStr) Then Exit Function ' Trim extra characters from passed string. PassedStr = Trim$(PassedStr) ' Cycle through string and remove extra ' string characters specified in the ' RemoveExtraChar value. For i = 1 To Len(PassedStr) HoldChar = Mid$(PassedStr, i, 1) If HoldChar = RemoveExtraChar Then If GotChar = False Then GotChar = True HoldStr = HoldStr & HoldChar End If              Else GotChar = False End If              If Not GotChar Then HoldStr = HoldStr & HoldChar End If          Next i          StripExtraChars = HoldStr StripExtraChars_End: Exit Function StripExtraChars_Err: MsgBox Error$ Resume StripExtraChars_End End Function

 To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window (or in the Immediate window in versions 1.x and 2.0), and then press ENTER.

?StripExtraChars(" My Test String ", Chr$(32))

Note that the string passed to the StripExtraChars function returns "My Test String." The RemoveExtraChar variable passed into the function uses the Chr$ ASCII code equivalent of a space.

