XL97: Text Property Limited to 1024 Characters

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Visual Basic for Applications macros in Microsoft Excel 97, when you use the Text property to read text from a cell, not all of the text contained in the object is returned.

CAUSE

This will occur if you use the Text property to read text from a cell that contains more than 1024 characters; the Text property can only read 1024 characters from a cell.

WORKAROUND

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If there is a chance that a cell will contain more than 1024 characters, use the Value property to read the text from the cell. The Value property can read up to 32767 characters from a cell.

For example, if you want to read the text from cell A1, when cell A1 contains more than 1024 characters, do the following:

1. Enter the following macro code into a module sheet:

         Sub Read_Text()
   
             MyVar = Range("A1").Value
             MsgBox MyVar
   
         End Sub
   
   

2. Run the Read_Text macro.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel 97.

MORE INFORMATION

You can use the Text property in Microsoft Excel to read text from cells:

   MyVar = Range("A1").Text

However, Microsoft Excel 97 allows up to 32767 characters per cell. Because of this, the Text property may not work as expected when you use it to read a cell that contains more than 1024 characters.