Range Reference formula

Range references are strings such as A5 in Range ("A5") as I understand it. Suppose I create a range reference including simple math. For example, (and ignore the select because I generally avoid this but it isn't relevant to the question).

Please Login or Register  to view this content.

Question: the reference "D" is a string but x is an integer which means mixing a string with an integer. This seems to work but I'm not sure why. It would seem that the (x+3) result needs to be converted to a string first and then concantenated with the literal "D." Is this really necessary and if not, why not?

Thanks in advance.

Hello gototcm,

VBA treats columns as either a number or a letter. If it is a letter then VBA internally converts this to a number when compiling your code.

Sometimes parts of VBA have been written to take arguments / parameters as strings, that is to say within a string.
Such as in this case, the only thing that VBA is really interested in is the actual
A8
That is the information that it needs.
If the syntax had been written to accept the information in this form Range(A8) , then you would be limited to having to hard code, that is to say, put in the exact values, A8
Because the syntax has been written to take the information within a string, then you are more flexible and can make the coding dynamic, as you did, since in your example , x could be filled by some other coding previously.
AFAIK, there is no special reason why the syntax needed to be written such as to take this form, Range("A8") , rather than this form Range(A8), but it gives you that extra flexibility.
Often you may be able to use an alternative syntax. For example, in coding you might sometimes see
[A8]
Which is looked at by VBA as
[=A8]
and can often be used as an alternative to
Range("A8").Value

Molly

Edit: Note that usually, but not always , Range("A8") defaults to Range("A8").Value

( Another good tip when developing coding of this form is to use a string variable for the argument which needs to be a string, then take a look at it in the immediate window ( https://www.excelcampus.com/vba/vba-immediate-window-excel/ )
The form that is printed out in the immediate window, is “as VBA “Sees” it”. So that can be a good indication as to whether you have got it right

Dim strArg as String, x as long
X=8
strArg ="A" & x & ""
debug.Print strarg

In the immediate window you would see
A8
without any quotes. You see what VBA sees.

In general , or often, a pair of enclosing " "s tells VBA to take what is within the quotes literally. So in the above example vba takes OR "sees"
A
When it comes to x , it sees no enclosing " "s so it takes the value in the variable x , which is
8

Then the & is the Vba syntax to "stick things together"
So the result is
A8


( Edit later : just for others info .. I think this thread is related to this 'un https://www.excelforum.com/excel-programming-vba-macros/1303728-contiguous-range-reference.html
)
)