When comparing strings, it’s helpful to use the VBA Like syntax. This lesson explains how this works and includes a sample program with example code on how to compare two strings
The “vba like vs instr” is a string comparison tool that allows users to compare strings. It can be used in VBA, JavaScript and C#.
What is a Regular Expression, and how does it work? What is the relationship between the Like and the Operator?
There is a mechanism to compare strings against certain patterns in every computer language. These designs are made up of many characters. Regular expressions are the name for these patterns.
The “Like” operator in VBA, like in structured query language, may be used to compare strings to patterns or other strings. With wildcard characters, this works.
Characters that may be used as wildcards
| S.no | Characters who aren’t expected to appear | Description |
| 1 | What are your thoughts on this? ( Question Mark) | This is used to find a single character in a string. If we have the string “CAT” and the pattern is “C?T,” for example, the VBA LIKE operator returns TRUE. The VBA LIKE operator returns FALSE if the string is “CATCH” and the patterns are “C?T.” |
| 2 | * * * * * * (Asterisk) | There are zero or more characters that this matches. The LIKE operator in VBA returns TRUE if the string is “Good” and the pattern is “G**d.” |
| 3 | [] [] (square brackets) | Any single character supplied in the brackets is matched. |
| 4 | [] | This will match any single character in the Char-Char range. |
| 5 | [!] | This matches any character that isn’t on the list. |
| 6 | [!] | This will match any single character that isn’t in the Char-Char range. |
| 7 | # ( hash) | Any single digit will match this. |
Programs That Make Use of the Like Operator
The “*” Wildcard Character as an Example
Scenario: A business provides customers who purchase any ice cream a pen as a present. We’re working on a code that will take into account people who buy anything with the words ice cream in it. We’ll utilize the asterisk wildcard (*) character for this.
Declare a variable Dim var item in likeoperator Demo()
‘ take client input in the form of an item number var item = InputBox (“Enter the item you wish to buy”)
‘ Check whether the product qualifies for a free gift. Any number of “any character(s)” is represented by the “*.” If var item is “*ice*cream*”, then Debug is enabled. “Your item ‘” & var item & “‘ qualifies for a free gift – pen” Otherwise, Debug is ineligible. End If “You item ‘” & var item & “‘ is not eligible for the free gift – pen” Print “You item ‘” & var item & “‘ is not eligible for the free gift – pen”
End Sub
Various Product Outputs:
This picture clearly demonstrates how the same strategy works in the absence of case sensitivity.
The “?” Wildcard as an example program
Here’s a simple program that includes a “? “In a word, (question mark). This is compared to the supplied text and processed as a pattern. Let’s try this code without the “Text comparison option.” “to view the original outcomes
wildcard like demo is a subset of wildcard like demo ()
‘ Declare a string and an input variable. pattern1, var input = pattern1
‘ Set the variable’s initial value to one “?” character, which may be replaced with any character to indicate that it matches the pattern1 variable pattern1 = “SCHOOL?BOY” ‘ Pattern1 has actually become a pattern.
‘ Take a user input and save it in the var input variable. InputBox = var input (“Enter a text. “)
‘Check to check whether there’s a single character that may be used in lieu of “?” If var input is similar to pattern1, then
‘ If this is the case, the input fits the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Else
‘ If this isn’t the case, the input doesn’t fit the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” End If
End Sub
The outcome for different input text values is shown below. Please copy and paste these input values to better understand how the “?” wildcard character works.
The text’school’ in the input field does not fit the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY.’
The word ‘SCHOOLBOY’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’.
‘SCHOOLBBOY’ matches the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ in the input text.
‘SCHOOLcBOY’ matches the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ in the input text.
The pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ is found in the input text ‘SCHOOL&BOY.’
The pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ is found in the input string ‘SCHOOL/BOY’.
‘SCHOOLzBOY’ matches the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ in the input text.
The pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ is found in the input text ‘SCHOOL*BOY’.
The pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’ is found in the input text ‘SCHOOL:BOY’.
The text ‘BOY’ in the input field does not fit the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’.
The string ‘SCOOLBOY’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘SCHOOL?BOY’.
The “#” Wildcard Character as an Example
We’re making a pattern with a “#” in this program “.. We’re now attempting to match it with a variety of input phrases. If “#” is replaced with a digit in the input expressions, “The expression is said to fit the constructed pattern if the remainder of the word is left unchanged. We infer that the input expression does not fit the pattern if any of the preceding requirements are not satisfied.
wildcard like demo is a subset of wildcard like demo ()
‘ Declare a string and an input variable. pattern1, var input = pattern1
‘ Set the variable’s initial value to one “#” character, which may be replaced with any single number to indicate that it matches this variable / pattern pattern1 = “GOOD#GIRL” ‘ Pattern1 has actually become a pattern.
‘ Take a user input and save it in the var input variable. InputBox = var input (“Enter a text. “)
‘Check to check whether there’s a single digit in lieu of “#” If var input Matches pattern1
‘ If this is the case, the input fits the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Else
‘ If this isn’t the case, the input doesn’t fit the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” End If
End Sub
For a variety of input expressions, the following is the output:
The string ‘GooGIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL’ is found in the input string ‘GOOD5GIRL.’
The string ‘GOODGIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The string ‘GOOD$GIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The string ‘GOODGGIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The string ‘GOODGIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The string ‘Good7GIRL’ in the input field does not match the pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL.’
The pattern ‘GOOD#GIRL’ is found in the input string ‘GOOD8GIRL.’
Single Character [] in Square Brackets as an Example
Within square brackets, a single character (as is) or a range of characters may be used as a wildcard character. The range A-Z is utilized as the pattern range in this program, and any single capital or uppercase letter may be used in its place in the input expression.
If the following conditions are met, the expression will match the pattern:
- Only one, since [A-Z] is replaced with an uppercase letter.
- All additional characters are in the same sequence as the pattern.
wildcard like demo is a subset of wildcard like demo ()
‘ Declare a string and an input variable. pattern1, var input = pattern1
‘ Set the variable’s initial value to [A-Z]. “This is [A-Z] nation,” pattern1 says. Pattern1 has actually become a pattern.
‘ Take a user input and save it in the var input variable. InputBox = var input (“Enter a text. “)
‘Check to check whether any single character can be substituted for “[A-Z]” If var input is similar to pattern1, then
‘ If this is the case, the input fits the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” &var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” &var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Else
‘ If this isn’t the case, the input doesn’t fit the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” End If
End Sub
The Results of Different Input Expressions:
The text ‘INDIA’ in the input field does not fit the pattern ‘This is a [A-Z] nation.’
‘This is I country’ is a match for the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] country.’
‘This is MY nation’ is not a match for the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] country.’
‘This is a country’ does not follow the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] nation.’
‘This is o country’ does not fit the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] country.’
‘This is A country’ is a match for the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] country.’
The pattern ‘This is [A-Z] nation’ does not match the input string ‘This is 3 country.’
The pattern ‘This is [A-Z] nation’ does not match the input string ‘This is percent country.’
‘This is A country’ does not fit the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] nation.’
‘This isPcountry’ does not fit the pattern ‘This is [A-Z] country.’
Single Character in Brackets (Lowercase) [a-z] is an example program.
This example is identical to the last one, except that lowercase characters are used as a range this time, and the range is not from a to z. It’s just a subset of it, namely [b-j]. As a result, any lowercase letters outside of this range will be ignored when determining whether or not they fit the pattern.
wildcard like demo is a subset of wildcard like demo ()
‘ Declare a string and an input variable. pattern1, var input = pattern1
‘ Set the variable’s initial value to [A-Z]. “This is [A-Z] nation,” pattern1 says. Pattern1 has actually become a pattern.
‘ Take a user input and save it in the var input variable. InputBox = var input (“Enter a text. “)
‘Check to check whether any single character can be substituted for “[A-Z]” If var input is similar to pattern1, then
‘ If this is the case, the input fits the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Else
‘ If this isn’t the case, the input doesn’t fit the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” End If
End Sub
With a variety of input expressions, the following is the output:
‘I am [b-j] artist’ is not a match for the pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist.’
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ matches the input text ‘I am c artist.’
‘I am X artist’ is not a match for the pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist.’
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ does not match the input text ‘I am y artist.’
The word ‘I am] artist’ in the input field does not fit the pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist.’
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ does not match the input phrase ‘I am percent artist.’
‘I am j artist’ is a match for the pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist.’
‘I am a 4] artist,’ says the submitted text. ‘I am [b-j] artist’ does not fit the pattern.
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ does not match the input text ‘I am 6 artist.’
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ does not match the input text ‘I am G artist.’
The pattern ‘I am [b-j] artist’ matches the input string ‘I am g artist.’
Not in Range [!>] is an example program.
This software compares and matches each of the input phrases with a wildcard pattern that means “out of range.” It’s not the same as the previous two shows.
“Not in the stated range” is shown by an exclamation mark in front of a designated range, but inside the same square brackets.
Consider the following scenario:
Any single lowercase letter from a to f, or from k to z, should match [!g-j].
Let’s try it again using the same software as before.
wildcard like demo is a subset of wildcard like demo ()
‘ Declare a string and an input variable. pattern1, var input = pattern1
‘ Set the variable’s initial value to [!P-X]. “This is [!P-X] nation,” pattern1 says. Pattern1 has actually become a pattern.
‘ Take a user input and save it in the var input variable. InputBox = var input (“Enter an expression . “)
Whether var input Like pattern1 Then check to see if there is any single character in lieu of “[!P-X] that is inside “
‘If the input does not fit the pattern,’ Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ matches the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Else
‘If that’s the case, the input doesn’t fit the pattern. Debug. “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” Print “The input text ‘” & var input & “‘ does not match the pattern ‘” & pattern1 & “‘” End If
End Sub
The Results of Different Input Expressions:
‘This is my x nation’ is not a match for the pattern ‘This is [!P-X] country.’
The pattern ‘This is [!P-X] nation’ matches the input string ‘This is N country.’
This is Q nation’s input text does not fit the pattern ‘This is [!P-X] country’.
The pattern ‘This is [!P-X] nation’ matches the input string ‘This is percent country.’
The pattern ‘This is [!P-X] nation’ matches the input string ‘This is 1 country.’
‘This is any nation’ is not a match for the pattern ‘This is [!P-X] country.’
Conclusion
For any wildcard character and a combination of them, several instances of this kind may be presented. But it’s the usage of the “Like” keyword that we’re attempting to stress here. It may be used to compare any expression to a previously constructed pattern, which may or may not include wildcard characters.
Look for related articles on our website for additional information about wildcards and their combinations.
Characters, combinations, Excel, Expression, input, Like Operator, Operator, regex, Strings, VBA, VBA For Excel, wildcard characters
Watch This Video-
The “excel vba like operator special characters” is a function that allows you to compare strings. The function will be able to compare any text in Excel, including the string and its contents.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare two strings in VBA?
A: The VBA language has many built-in functions that allow you to compare strings. For example, the string a can be compared with another string by using the StringCompare function which is a subfunction of Strcompare .
How do you use like operator in VBA?
A: =
Which operator can compare string with given pattern?
A: The regular expression operator ^ can compare strings with a given pattern.
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