Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 15, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
It is often necessary to trim spaces off of strings when programming macros. For instance, let's say you used the InputBox function to get some user input. The function returns a string, but you find out that the user hit the space bar a few times before typing a response. Thus, you end up with a string such as " My String," complete with leading spaces.
Fortunately, VBA provides several different functions to remove spaces from a string. The following are the three functions you could use:
MyVar = LTrim(MyVar) MyVar = RTrim(MyVar) MyVar = Trim(MyVar)
The first example ends up trimming all the spaces from the left end of the string, the second removes them from the right end, and the third removes them from both ends. You can use the function that you feel best fits your programming needs.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2303) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Trimming Spaces from Strings.
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