This is my first attempt at writing some reusable OOP code. The problem I'm trying to simplify is the confusing (at least to me) structure of VBA string manipulation.

Example

Dim SomeString As StringSomeString = "1234abc"SomeString = UCase(Left(StrReverse("1234abc"), 3))

I've been using VBA long enough, that I get it. Read the expression inside out, but with .NET this is much more intuitive (again, to me) with method chaining. So with that in mind I made the following class whichsort of have a .NET string quality to them. Be sure to save thisClass to a file then import it, as I'm setting the default property of this class to beValue with theAttribute Value.VB_UserMemId = 0 Attribute.

Text Class

Option ExplicitPrivate pText As StringPublic Enum SearchDirection    StartToEnd    EndToStartEnd EnumPrivate Sub Class_Initialize()    pText = vbNullStringEnd SubPrivate Sub Class_Terminate()    pText = vbNullStringEnd SubPublic Property Get Value() As StringAttribute Value.VB_UserMemId = 0    Value = pTextEnd PropertyPublic Property Let Value(ByVal InputString As String)    pText = InputStringEnd PropertyPublic Function LowerCase() As text    pText = LCase$(pText)    Set LowerCase = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function UpperCase() As text    pText = UCase$(pText)    Set UpperCase = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function ProperCase() As text    pText = StrConv(pText, vbProperCase)    Set ProperCase = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function TrimText() As text    pText = Trim$(pText)    Set TrimText = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function LeftTrim() As text    pText = LTrim$(pText)    Set LeftTrim = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function RightTrim() As text    pText = RTrim$(pText)    Set RightTrim = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function ToByteArray() As Byte()    ToByteArray = StrConv(pText, vbFromUnicode)End FunctionPublic Function ToCharArray() As String()    Dim tmpArray    As Variant    tmpArray = VBA.Split(StrConv(pText, vbUnicode), Chr$(0))    ReDim Preserve tmpArray(LBound(tmpArray) To UBound(tmpArray) - 1)    ToCharArray = tmpArray    Erase tmpArrayEnd FunctionPublic Function IsInText(ByVal SearchText As String, _                         Optional ByVal Direction As SearchDirection = SearchDirection.StartToEnd, _                         Optional ByVal CompareMode As VbCompareMethod = vbTextCompare, _                         Optional ByVal LookInSearchText As Boolean = False) As Boolean    If Direction = StartToEnd Then        If LookInSearchText Then            IsInText = IIf(InStr(1, SearchText, pText, CompareMode) > 0, True, False)        Else            IsInText = IIf(InStr(1, pText, SearchText, CompareMode) > 0, True, False)        End If    Else        If LookInSearchText Then            IsInText = IIf(InStrRev(1, SearchText, pText, CompareMode) > 0, True, False)        Else            IsInText = IIf(InStrRev(1, pText, SearchText, CompareMode) > 0, True, False)        End If    End IfEnd FunctionPublic Function InTextPosition(ByVal SearchText As String, _                               Optional ByVal Direction As SearchDirection = SearchDirection.StartToEnd, _                               Optional ByVal CompareMode As VbCompareMethod = vbTextCompare, _                               Optional ByVal LookInSearchText As Boolean = False) As Long    If Direction = StartToEnd Then        If LookInSearchText Then            InTextPosition = InStr(1, SearchText, pText, CompareMode)        Else            InTextPosition = InStr(1, pText, SearchText, CompareMode)        End If    Else        If LookInSearchText Then            InTextPosition = InStrRev(1, SearchText, pText, CompareMode)        Else            InTextPosition = InStrRev(1, pText, SearchText, CompareMode)        End If    End IfEnd FunctionPublic Property Get IsTextNull() As Boolean   IsTextNull = IIf(pText = vbNullString, True, False)End PropertyPublic Function Slice(Optional ByVal StartingCharacter As Long = 1, _                      Optional ByVal EndingCharacter As Long = -1) As text    If EndingCharacter = StartingCharacter Then EndingCharacter = EndingCharacter + 1    'Throw an error if the ending character isn't -1, or is less than the starting character    If EndingCharacter < StartingCharacter And Not EndingCharacter = -1 Then        Err.Raise vbObjectError + 1, "Text.Slice error", _                  "You must enter an ending character greater than or equal to the starting character"        Exit Function    End If    If EndingCharacter = -1 Then        If StartingCharacter >= 1 And Len(pText) > 0 Then pText = Mid$(pText, StartingCharacter, Len(pText))    Else        If StartingCharacter >= 1 And Len(pText) > 0 Then pText = Mid$(pText, StartingCharacter, EndingCharacter - StartingCharacter)    End If    Set Slice = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function Split(ByVal Delimiter As String, _                     Optional ByVal Limit As Long = -1, _                     Optional ByVal CompareMethod As VbCompareMethod = vbTextCompare) As Variant    Split = VBA.Split(pText, Delimiter, Limit, CompareMethod)End FunctionPublic Function Left(ByVal Length As Long) As text    pText = VBA.Left$(pText, Length)    Set Left = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function Right(ByVal Length As Long) As text    pText = VBA.Right$(pText, Length)    Set Right = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function ReplaceText(ByVal FindText As String, _                            ByVal ReplaceWith As String, _                            Optional ByVal Start As Long = 1, _                            Optional ByVal Count As Long = -1, _                            Optional ByVal CompareMode As VbCompareMethod = vbTextCompare) As text    pText = Replace(pText, FindText, ReplaceWith, Start, Count, CompareMode)    Set ReplaceText = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function ReverseText() As text    pText = StrReverse(pText)    Set ReverseText = MeEnd FunctionPublic Property Get Length() As Long    Length = Len(pText)End PropertyPublic Function RegexReplace(ByVal Pattern As String, _                             Optional ByVal ReplaceWith As String = vbNullString, _                             Optional ByVal MultiLine As Boolean = True, _                             Optional ByVal GlobalFlag As Boolean = True, _                             Optional ByVal IgnoreCase As Boolean = True) As text    Static RegEx As Object    If RegEx Is Nothing Then Set RegEx = CreateObject("VBScript.RegExp")    With RegEx        .Pattern = Pattern        .MultiLine = MultiLine        .Global = GlobalFlag        .IgnoreCase = IgnoreCase        pText = .Replace(pText, ReplaceWith)    End With    Set RegexReplace = MeEnd FunctionPublic Function RegexMatch(ByVal Pattern As String, _                           Optional ByVal Delimiter As String = vbNullString, _                           Optional ByVal GlobalFlag As Boolean = True, _                           Optional ByVal IgnoreCase As Boolean = True) As text    Dim i               As Long    Dim j               As Long    Dim Matches         As Object    Dim MatchingValue   As String    Static RegEx As Object    If RegEx Is Nothing Then Set RegEx = CreateObject("VBScript.RegExp")    With RegEx        .Pattern = Pattern        .Global = GlobalFlag        .IgnoreCase = IgnoreCase        Set Matches = .Execute(pText)    End With    For i = 0 To Matches.Count - 1        If Matches.Item(i).submatches.Count > 0 Then            For j = 0 To Matches.Item(i).submatches.Count                MatchingValue = MatchingValue & Delimiter & Matches.Item(i).submatches.Item(j)            Next        Else            MatchingValue = MatchingValue & Delimiter & Matches.Item(i)        End If    Next    If Len(MatchingValue) <> 0 Then MatchingValue = VBA.Right$(MatchingValue, Len(MatchingValue) - Len(Delimiter))    pText = MatchingValue    Set RegexMatch = MeEnd Function

Client Code Sample

Option ExplicitPublic Sub TextExample()    Dim newString      As text    Dim i              As Long    Dim StringArray()  As String    Dim AnotherArray() As String    Set newString = New text    'The value property is the default for the class, just assign it    newString = " Hello, World! The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog   "    'Let's do sample string manipulations but with method chaining    If newString.IsInText("fox") Then        Debug.Print "First Example: " & newString.UpperCase.RegexReplace("\s*").Slice(7, 12)        newString = "Something Else"        StringArray = newString.UpperCase.ToCharArray        For i = LBound(StringArray) To UBound(StringArray)            Debug.Print "Second Example: " & i, StringArray(i)        Next        'Another little example of using a regex pattern to find digits        'then converting to an array        newString = "12345 ABC 42 Z 13"        AnotherArray = newString.RegexMatch("\d+", ",").Split(",")        For i = LBound(AnotherArray) To UBound(AnotherArray)            Debug.Print "Third Example: " & i, AnotherArray(i)        Next    End IfEnd Sub

Where I need some help/guidance

I'm definitely not proficient writing or thinking from an OOP perspective yet, so I could use some guidance in the following areas:

• Is this approach reasonable from an OOP perspective?
• Naming things is hard, I don't really like "Text" but couldn't think of anything better. Also, not entirely sure my method and property names are great either

• \$\begingroup\$I would have gone withToLowerCase,ToUpperCase, andToProperCase. In OOP terms what you have here is similar to abuilder pattern (with the functions returningMe) - I'd consider making it aStringBuilder class and adding methods toAppend. Browse around in the VBA tag, there's an excellent StringBuilder class waiting to be put to good use =)\$\endgroup\$

  Mathieu Guindon

  – Mathieu Guindon

  2018-05-31 14:49:59 +00:00

  CommentedMay 31, 2018 at 14:49
• \$\begingroup\$@MathieuGuindon Yes that StringBuilder class is awesome. I think merging that in here would be worthwhile. Thanks for the feedback :)\$\endgroup\$

  Ryan Wildry

  – Ryan Wildry

  2018-05-31 17:12:59 +00:00

  CommentedMay 31, 2018 at 17:12

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