This article shows you how to create a sample user-defined Visual Basic for
Applications function to concatenate portions of text fields. The function is useful for displaying names in various formats on forms and reports. You can use this function as a control source in a text box on either a form or report, or as an expression in a query.
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.
Open any database in Microsoft Access and follow these steps to create the
NFORMAT() function:
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 NFormat(First As Variant, Middle As Variant, Last As _
Variant, Style As Variant)
On Error GoTo Err_NFormat
Dim iFirst As Variant, iMiddle As Variant, iLast As Variant
Dim NewName As String
iFirst = IIf(Len(First),Left(First, 1) + IIf(Len(First) = 1, " ", _
". "), "")
iMiddle = IIf(Len(Middle),Left(Middle, 1) + IIf(Len(Middle) = 1, _
" ", ". "),"")
iLast = IIf(Len(Last),Left(Last, 1) + IIf(Len(Last) = 1, " ", ". ") _
, "")
Select Case Style
Case "0", "FML"
NewName = First & " " & (Middle + " ") & Last
Case "1", "FIL"
NewName = First & " " & iMiddle & Last
Case "2", "IIL"
NewName = iFirst & iMiddle & Last
Case "3", "LFM"
NewName = Last & ", " & First & (" " + Middle)
Case "4", "LFI"
NewName = Last & ", " & First & (" " + iMiddle)
Case "5", "LII"
NewName = Last & ", " & iFirst & iMiddle
Case "6", "FL"
NewName = First & " " & Last
Case "7", "FI"
NewName = First & " " & iLast
Case "8", "LF"
NewName = Last & ", " & First
Case "9", "LI"
NewName = Last & ", " & iFirst
Case "10", "III"
NewName = iFirst & iMiddle & iLast
Case "11", "II"
NewName = iFirst & iLast
Case Else
NewName = ""
End Select
NFormat = Trim(NewName)
Exit Function
Err_NFormat:
NFormat = "#Error"
End Function
To test this function, type the following line in the Immediate window, and then press ENTER:
? NFormat("Nancy","Anne","Davolio",4)
Note that Davolio, Nancy A. is displayed.
Sample output with the following fields [First]="Nancy", [Middle]="Anne",
[Last]="Davolio":
NFormat([First],[Middle],[Last],[Style])
Where Displays
[Style]=0 Nancy Anne Davolio
[Style]=1 Nancy A. Davolio
[Style]=2 N. A. Davolio
[Style]=3 Davolio, Nancy Anne
[Style]=4 Davolio, Nancy A.
[Style]=5 Davolio, N. A.
[Style]=6 Nancy Davolio
[Style]=7 Nancy D.
[Style]=8 Davolio, Nancy
[Style]=9 Davolio, N.
[Style]=10 N. A. D.
[Style]=11 N. D.
If you use an invalid style, the procedure returns an empty string ("").
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