How to use Spc function in VBA?

In VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), the `Spc` function is used to insert a specified number of space characters in a print line. The `Spc` function thus works with the `Print` statement typically when printing to files or the Immediate Window in the VBA environment for formatting purposes.

Here is an example on how to use the `Spc` function in VBA:

Sub UseSpcFunction()
    Dim numSpaces As Integer
    numSpaces = 10 ' Number of spaces to insert

    ' The following will print "Hello" followed by 10 spaces and then "World" in the Immediate Window
    Debug.Print "Hello"; Spc(numSpaces); "World"
End Sub

When you run this subroutine, it should output `Hello World` in the Immediate Window (Ctrl + G in the VBE to view it) with 10 spaces between “Hello” and “World”.

Do note that `Spc` function may not be commonly used for user-facing applications, it’s more of a convenience during debugging or when dealing with legacy code that interacts with text-file output.

For better control over strings and spaces in a user-facing application, it’s recommended to use string manipulation functions such as `Space` (which generates a string with a specified number of spaces) or string concatenation with the `&` operator.

Sub UseSpaceFunction()
    ' The following achieves similar to the above but using Space function
    Dim spaceStr As String
    spaceStr = Space(10)
    
    Debug.Print "Hello" & spaceStr & "World"
End Sub

This method is more versatile since `Space` gives you a string and you can use it anywhere you can use a string, not only with `Print`.

facebooklinkedin