How to use Environ function in VBA?

The Environ function in VBA allows you to get the value of an environment variable from the operating system. Environment variables contain information about the system environment, such as the user’s name, the system directory, and the path to temporary files.

Basic Syntax

VBA


Dim envVariable As String
envVariable = Environ("VARIABLE_NAME")

Replace “VARIABLE_NAME” with the actual name of the environment variable you would like to retrieve. Here are the steps and an example demonstrating how to use the Environ function:

Open Microsoft Excel.
Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic for Applications editor (VBA editor).
Insert a new module by clicking Insert > Module from the menu.
In the new module, create a new subroutine or function where you want to use Environ.

Environ to get the username and the path to the user’s Temp folder

VBA

Sub ShowEnvironmentVariables()

    Dim userName As String
    Dim tempPath As String
    
    ' Get the username of the current user
    userName = Environ("USERNAME")

    ' Get the path to the temporary folder
    tempPath = Environ("TEMP") ' or Environ("TMP")

    ' Display the results in message boxes
    MsgBox "Current user is: " & userName
    MsgBox "Path to TEMP folder is: " & tempPath
    
End Sub

To run the above code:

Ensure you are in the VBA editor and that the new module is selected.
Place the cursor inside ShowEnvironmentVariables subroutine.
Press F5 to execute the code.

After running the subroutine, message boxes will appear displaying the current user’s name and the path to the Temp folder.

Note

The use of environment variables can differ between operating systems, and some variables may not exist on all systems. Standard variables like USERNAME, TEMP, and PATH are commonly available on Windows systems. Also, be aware of the security implications of using environment variables, as they could potentially be manipulated by users or malicious programs. Always validate and use environment variable data securely.

facebooklinkedin