Changing Case using Worksheet Functions and Excel VBA

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1 Excel provides the text worksheet functions, namely the Upper Function, the Lower Function and the Proper Function, which can change the case of a specified input text string. This text string could be entered directly into the formula or entered as a cell reference. The Upper Function converts all text in a given string to capital letters, whereas the Lower Function converts all text in a given string to lower case. The Proper Function converts the first letter of every word in a text string to a capital letter and keeps the rest of the word in lower case. VBA also has an equivalent built-in UCase and LCase Function. The UCase Function in VBA converts all letters in a given text string to capital letters whereas the LCase Function converts all letters in a given text string to lower case. VBA does not have an equivalent Proper Function, therefore one can either use the StrConv function or access the worksheet Proper Function in VBA in order to convert a text string to proper case. So, let s get started with a few simple examples to illustrate how to use the above-listed functions. Table of Contents 1 Using the Upper Function 2 Using the Lower Function 3 Using the Proper Function 4 Using the UCase Function in VBA 5 Using the LCase Function in VBA 6 Converting to Proper Case using VBA 6.1 Using the StrConv function 6.2 Using the Proper Worksheet Function in VBA 7 Changing Case Using VBA 8 Download Working File 9 Conclusion 10 Useful Links Using the Upper Function We are going to utilize the Upper Function in order to capitalize a text string. The source data is shown below and is the first worksheet in the workbook. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 1

4 3) We now want to capitalize some source text, using the Upper Function again, but instead of using a cell reference we will enter the text string directly in the formula. So in cell A8, enter the following formula and remember when entering text directly into a formula, always surround the text with quotation marks: =UPPER( This Is Some Sample Text ) All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 4

6 Using the Lower Function We are going to utilize the Lower Function in order to change a text string entirely into lower case. The source data is shown below and is the second sheet in the workbook. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 6

9 3) We now want to convert some source text to lower case, using the Lower Function again, but instead of using a cell reference we will enter the text string directly in the formula. So in cell A8, enter the following formula and remember as mentioned before when entering text directly into a formula always surround the text with quotation marks: =LOWER( This Is Some Sample Text ) All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 9

11 Using the Proper Function We are going to utilize the Proper Function in order to put a text string into the proper case. The source data is shown below and is the third worksheet in the workbook. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 11

14 3) We now want to convert some source text to proper case, using the Proper Function again, but instead of using a cell reference we will enter the text string directly in the formula. So in cell A8, enter the following formula: =PROPER( this is some sample text ) All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 14

16 Using the UCase Function in VBA We are going to utilize the UCase Function in order to change a text string entirely into the upper case in VBA. The source data is shown below and is the fourth worksheet in the workbook. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 16

17 1) So first things first, we are going to add a button to the worksheet, so go to Developer>Controls>Insert and under ActiveX Controls, select command button. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 17

19 3) With Design mode and the button selected, select Properties and change the name of the button to cmduppercase and the caption of the button to Convert to Upper Case as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 19

4) Right-click on the button and choose View

21 5) Enter the following code for the button click event. Private Sub cmduppercase_click() Dim inputstring As String Dim resultant As String Let inputstring = Range( A5 ).Value resultant = UCase(inputString) Range( A8 ).Value = resultant End Sub This code has two variables of the string data type. The first variable is sourced from the text in cell A5, the second variable takes its value from the UCase function converting the first variable into upper case. The last portion of the code is stating the second variable i.e the text in uppercase should be shown in cell A8. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 21

22 6) Return to the worksheet and making sure Design mode is not selected, click on the button and the text in upper case is shown in cell A8. Using the LCase Function in VBA We are going to utilize the LCase Function in order to change a text string entirely into All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 22

23 lower case, in VBA. The source data is shown below and is the fifth worksheet in the workbook. 1) So first things first, we are going to add a button to the worksheet, so go to Developer>Controls>Insert and under ActiveX Control select command button. 2) Draw a command button on the worksheet as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 23

24 3) With Design mode and the button selected, select Properties and change the name of the button to cmdlowercase and the caption of the button to Convert to Lower Case as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 24

25 4) Right-click on the button and choose View Code. 5) Enter the following code for the button click event. Private Sub cmdlowercase_click() Dim rng As Range Dim resultant As String Set rng = Application.InputBox(Prompt:= Select the text you d like to convert to lower case, _ Title:= Lower Case Conversion, Type:=8) resultant = LCase(rng) Range( A8 ).Value = resultant End Sub This code has two variables one of the range data type and one of the string data type. The first variable is sourced using an input box and the user selects via the input box, the preferred range, the second variable takes is the value from the Lcase Function converting the first variable into lower case. The last portion of the code is stating the second variable i.e the text in lower case should be shown in cell A8. 6) Return to the worksheet and making sure Design mode is not selected, click on the All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 25

26 button. Once clicked, an input box should appear asking you to select the text that you would like to convert to lower case. 7) In this case select cell A5, however, you could select any other cell containing the text you d like to convert to lower case, if the other cell contained text, using this input box. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 26

8) Click Ok and the text converted to the lower case should

28 Converting to Proper Case using VBA There is no built-in Proper Case Function in Excel VBA like LCase and UCase as mentioned before. Therefore to convert a text string to proper case one either has to use the StrConv Function or access the worksheet Proper Function in VBA. We are going to look at both All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 28

29 ways. The StrConv function can also be used to convert a string to either upper case or lower case depending on the parameter specified. Using the StrConv function The sample data is shown below and is the sixth worksheet in the workbook. 1) So first things first, we are going to add a button to the worksheet, so go to Developer>Controls>Insert and under ActiveX Controls select command button. 2) Draw a command button on the worksheet. 3) With Design mode and the button selected, select Properties and change the name of the button to cmdpropercase and the caption of the button to Convert to Proper Case as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 29

30 4) Right-click on the button and choose View Code. 5) Enter the following code for the button click event. Private Sub cmdpropercase_click() Dim inputstring As String Dim resultant As String Let inputstring = Range( A5 ).Value resultant = StrConv(inputString, vbpropercase) Range( A8 ).Value = resultant End Sub This code has two variables of the string data type. The first variable is sourced from the text in cell A5, the second variable takes its value from the StrConv function converting the first variable into the proper case. If one specified vbuppercase instead, this would convert the string to upper case, and if one specified vblowercase, this would convert the string to lower case. One could also convert the string to Unicode using the vbunicode parameter in All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 30

31 conjunction with the StrConv function or alternatively convert the string back from Unicode to the default code page of the system at hand using the vbfromunicode parameter. The last portion of the code is stating second variable i.e the text in the proper case should be shown in cell A8. 6) Return to the worksheet and making sure Design mode is not selected, click on the button and the text in the proper case is shown in cell A8. Using the Proper Worksheet Function in VBA One can access the worksheet Proper function in VBA since there is no VBA equivalent. For functions that have a VBA built-in equivalent, one must use the VBA equivalent instead. So still on the same sheet, we were using before, we will now use the Proper worksheet Function in VBA in order to convert a text string to proper case. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 31

33 3) With Design mode still selected, and the CheckBox selected using the Properties Window, change the name of the CheckBox to chkone and the Caption to Change Case as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 33

4) Close the Properties Window and right-click the Check Box

36 Dim resultantone As String If chkone.value = True Then Let inputstringone = Range( A5 ).Value resultantone = Application.WorksheetFunction.Proper(inputstringOne) Range( B8 ).Value = resultantone End If If chkone.value = False Then Range( B8 ).Value = End If End Sub What this code does is declare two variables both of the string data type. Using an If statement we check if the CheckBox is ticked (i.e its value is true) then the first variable gets its value from whatever text is in cell A5. The second variable gets its value from the first variable which using the Proper Worksheet Function has been converted to proper case. The second variable is then input in cell B8. Then using another If statement we check if the checkbox is not checked then cell B8 is cleared of any data. So this creates a kind of toggle on/toggle off effect in a way. 6) With Design mode deselected check the CheckBox as shown and This Is Some Sample Text is delivered in cell B8. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 36

38 Crossover Tips Word also provides ways to change case, we are first going to look at the simple way of changing case in Word using the Ribbon and then we are going to use VBA to accomplish the same thing. Our sample document is shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 38

39 1) First things first, select the text and then go to Home>Font>Change Case and select an option from there, in this case, we are going to select UPPERCASE as shown below. However, we can be using the Change Case option in the Font group, convert a text to lower case, proper case(the Capitalize Each Word) option or sentence case (where only the first letter of a sentence is capitalized). All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 39

2) The selected text should now be in the upper case

41 Changing Case Using VBA We are now going to look at how to change the case using VBA, make sure you save documents with VBA as macro-enabled documents. Our sample macro-enabled document is shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 41

7) Click Ok and Ok again and you should now have more flexibility with respect to

9) Close the Properties Window and right-click the button

50 10) Enter the following code for the button click event: Private Sub cmdlower_click() Dim firstparagraph As Range Set firstparagraph = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(1).Range With firstparagraph.case = wdlowercase End With End Sub This code first declares a variable called firstparagraph as a range object. The difference between a range in Word and a range in Excel is that a range in Word has a set starting All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 50

51 point and ending point that has to be specified. A paragraph in word is a well-defined section that has a beginning and an end. In this case, we are setting our range as the first paragraph in the document using the range method. We are then using a With End With the structure, and changing the case of the paragraph. 11) Return back to the document and making sure Design mode is deselected, click on the button, we don t, in this case, have to select the paragraph first since we are not using a Selection object in the code and we have already specified using the range object that our first paragraph is the segment of interest. 12) The text is now converted to lower case as shown below. 13) Now on the same document, go to Developer>Controls>Legacy Tools and insert another button in the document as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 51

52 14) With the second button selected, right-click the button and choose Format Control. In the Format Object Dialog Box, select the Layout Tab and change the Wrapping Style to Square and click Ok. 15) Move the button down slightly as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 52

53 16) With the second button selected and using the Properties Window, change the name of the button to cmdupper, the caption to Upper Case and the width to ) Right-click the second button and choose View Code. 18) Enter the following code for the button click event. Private Sub cmdupper_click() Dim firstparagraph As Range Set firstparagraph = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(1).Range With firstparagraph.case = wduppercase End With End Sub All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 53

54 19) Return to the document and making sure Design mode is not selected, click on the Upper Case button and the text in the first paragraph will all be converted to Upper Case as shown below. 20) Now on the same document insert another button. 21) Right-click this third button and choose Format Control, in the Format Object Dialog Box, select the Layout Tab and choose Square under Wrapping Style as for the other buttons. Click Ok. 22) Move the button until it is slightly below the second button as shown below. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 54

55 23) With the third button selected, using the Properties Window change the name of the button to cmdproper, the caption to Proper Case and the width to ) Then right-click this button and for the button click event use the following code. Private Sub cmdproper_click() Dim firstparagraph As Range Set firstparagraph = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(1).Range With firstparagraph.case = wdtitleword End With End Sub 25) Return back to the document, making sure Design mode is not selected and click on the All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 55

56 Proper Case button and now the entire text in the first paragraph is converted to proper case. And there you have it. Download Working File UpperLowerUCaseLCaseFunctionsTNN WordCrossoverChangeCaseTNN WordCrossOverExampleOne All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 56

57 Conclusion Excel provides worksheet functions to change the case of text provided, there are also VBA built-in functions that deal with changing case. Word also provides multiple options on the Ribbon that deals with changing text and one can in VBA also change the case of a text or paragraph. Please feel free to comment and tell us if you utilize these functions often in your worksheets, documents or code. Useful Links The LCASE Function The UCASE Function The StrConv Function 8 SHARES FacebookTwitter Taryn N Taryn is a Microsoft Certified Professional, who has used Office Applications such as Excel and Access extensively, in her interdisciplinary academic career and work experience. She has a background in biochemistry, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and biofuels. She enjoys showcasing the functionality of Excel in various disciplines. She has over ten years of experience using Excel and Access to create advanced integrated solutions. All rights reserved to ExcelDemy.com. 57

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