ACC: How to Strip Extra Characters from a String

ID: Q148396

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Access version 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

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

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:

1. Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section

   if it is not already there:

      Option Explicit

      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

   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.

REFERENCES

For more information about string manipulation, search the Help Index for "Mid function," or "Left function," or "Right function," or "Chr function," or "Len function," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.

Additional Query Words:

Keywords          : kbusage
Version           : 1.0 1.1 2.0 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: November 20, 1998