DOCUMENT:Q188007 11-AUG-1998 [vbwin] TITLE :HOWTO: Simulate Visual Basic 6.0 String Functions in VB5 PRODUCT :Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows PROD/VER: OPER/SYS:WINDOWS KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== --------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 - Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 4.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= Visual Basic version 6.0 introduces a number of new string functions to simplify string manipulation in your code. This article describes how the same functionality can be used with earlier versions of Visual Basic. MORE INFORMATION ================ The following additional string functions are present in Visual Basic 6.0: Function Description -------- ----------- Join Used to join arrays elements. Split Split a string into a variant array. InStrRev Similar to InStr but searches from end of string. Replace To find a particular string and replace it. Reverse To reverse a string. If these functions are coded and added in a module, all the above functions can be used in the project as if they are intrinsic functions. 1. Start a new project. Form1 is created by default. 2. Add a new module to the project and add the following code to the module: Option Explicit Public Function Join(source() As String, Optional _ sDelim As String = " ") As String Dim sOut As String, iC As Integer On Error GoTo errh: For iC = LBound(source) To UBound(source) - 1 sOut = sOut & source(iC) & sDelim Next sOut = sOut & source(iC) Join = sOut Exit Function errh: Err.Raise Err.Number End Function Public Function Split(ByVal sIn As String, Optional sDelim As _ String, Optional nLimit As Long = -1, Optional bCompare As _ VbCompareMethod = vbBinaryCompare) As Variant Dim sRead As String, sOut() As String, nC As Integer If sDelim = "" Then Split = sIn End If sRead = ReadUntil(sIn, sDelim, bCompare) Do ReDim Preserve sOut(nC) sOut(nC) = sRead nC = nC + 1 If nLimit <> -1 And nC >= nLimit Then Exit Do sRead = ReadUntil(sIn, sDelim) Loop While sRead <> "" ReDim Preserve sOut(nC) sOut(nC) = sIn Split = sOut End Function Public Function ReadUntil(ByRef sIn As String, _ sDelim As String, Optional bCompare As VbCompareMethod _ = vbBinaryCompare) As String Dim nPos As String nPos = InStr(1, sIn, sDelim, bCompare) If nPos > 0 Then ReadUntil = Left(sIn, nPos - 1) sIn = Mid(sIn, nPos + Len(sDelim)) End If End Function Public Function StrReverse(ByVal sIn As String) As String Dim nC As Integer, sOut As String For nC = Len(sIn) To 1 Step -1 sOut = sOut & Mid(sIn, nC, 1) Next StrReverse = sOut End Function Public Function InStrRev(ByVal sIn As String, sFind As String, _ Optional nStart As Long = 1, Optional bCompare As _ VbCompareMethod = vbBinaryCompare) As Long Dim nPos As Long sIn = StrReverse(sIn) sFind = StrReverse(sFind) nPos = InStr(nStart, sIn, sFind, bCompare) If nPos = 0 Then InStrRev = 0 Else InStrRev = Len(sIn) - nPos - Len(sFind) + 2 End If End Function Public Function Replace(sIn As String, sFind As String, _ sReplace As String, Optional nStart As Long = 1, _ Optional nCount As Long = -1, Optional bCompare As _ VbCompareMethod = vbBinaryCompare) As String Dim nC As Long, nPos As Integer, sOut As String sOut = sIn nPos = InStr(nStart, sOut, sFind, bCompare) If nPos = 0 Then GoTo EndFn: Do nC = nC + 1 sOut = Left(sOut, nPos - 1) & sReplace & _ Mid(sOut, nPos + Len(sFind)) If nCount <> -1 And nC >= nCount Then Exit Do nPos = InStr(nStart, sOut, sFind, bCompare) Loop While nPos > 0 EndFn: Replace = sOut End Function 3. Add two CommandButtons to Form1. Add the following code to the General Declaration section of Form1: Option Explicit Dim MyArray(2) As String, MyStr As String, MyVar As Variant Private Sub Command1_Click() MyArray(0) = "item1" MyArray(1) = "item2" MyArray(2) = "item3" MyStr = Join(MyArray, ";") Debug.Print MyStr End Sub Private Sub Command2_Click() Dim i As Integer MyVar = Split(MyStr, ";") For i = LBound(MyVar) To UBound(MyVar) Debug.Print MyVar(i) Next End Sub Private Sub Form_Load() Command1.Caption = "Join" Command2.Caption = "Split" End Sub 4. Press the F5 key to run the project. Click on Join, and note in the debug window that the array elements are joined. Click on Split to split a string into a variant array. 5. Pause the project by pressing the CTRL+BREAK key combination or clicking the Pause button on the toolbar. Test the remaining functions by typing the following lines in the immediate window and verifying the results: ?instrrev("//drive/dir","/") 8 ?strreverse("input string") gnirts tupni ?replace("input string"," ", "-",4,1) input-string NOTE: The errors generated may not exactly coincide with those generated by the Visual Basic 6.0 intrinsic string functions. Additional query words: kbDSupport kbDSD beta99 kbVBp kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbVBA ====================================================================== Platform : WINDOWS Issue type : kbhowto ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.