INF: Sample Function to Return Variable's Data Type Name

Article ID: Q109945
Creation Date: 10-JAN-1994
Revision Date: 19-SEP-1996

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

The built-in VarType() function returns a value that indicates a variable's data type. This article describes a sample Access Basic function you can use to return the data type's name.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Access Basic and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information on Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x, or the "Building Applications" manual, Chapter 3, "Introducing Access Basic," in version 2.0.

MORE INFORMATION

To create the sample function DataTypeName(), type the following code in a new or existing module:

NOTE: In the following sample code, an underscore (_) is used as a line- continuation character. Remove the underscore from the end of the line when re-creating this code in Access Basic.

   '******************************************************
   'Declarations Section of Module
   '******************************************************
   Option Explicit

   '======================================================
   ' Purpose: To return the data type name.
   ' Accepts: A data type value.
   '======================================================
   Function DataTypeName (MyValue)
      DataTypeName = Choose(VarType(MyValue) + 1, "Empty", _
         "Null", "Integer", "Long", "Single", "Double", _
         "Currency", "Date", "String")
   End Function

To try the DataTypeName() function, type the following line in the module's Immediate window, and then press ENTER:

   ? DataTypeName(2)

REFERENCES

Microsoft Access "Language Reference," version 1.0, "Choose Function," page 65, and "VarType Function," page 494

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