Build a Comma Delimited String

Question

I want to build a comma delimited string from Range A1:A400.

What is the best way of doing this? Should I use a For loop?

Answer 1

You can use the StringConcat Function created by Chip Pearson. Please see the below link :)

Topic: String Concatenation

Link: http://www.cpearson.com/Excel/StringConcatenation.aspx

Quote From the link in case the link ever dies

This page describes a VBA Function that you can use to concatenate string values in an array formula.

The StringConcat Function

In order to overcome these deficiencies of the CONCATENATE function, it is necessary to build our own function written in VBA that will address the problems of CONCATENATE. The rest of this page describes such a function named StringConcat. This function overcomes all of the deficiencies of CONCATENATE. It can be used to concatenate individual string values, the values one or more worksheet ranges, literal arrays, and the results of an array formula operation.

The function declaration of StringConcat is as follows:

Function StringConcat(Sep As String, ParamArray Args()) As String

The Sep parameter is a character or characters that separate the strings being concatenated. This may be 0 or more characters. The Sep parameter is required. If you do not want any separators in the result string, use an empty string for the value of Sep. The Sep value appears between each string being concatenated, but does not appear at either the beginning or end of the result string. The ParamArray Args parameter is a series values to be concatenated. Each element in the ParamArray may be any of the following:

A literal string, such as "A" A range of cells, specified either by address or by a Range Name. When elements of a two dimensional range are concatenated, the order of concatenation is across one row then down to the next row. A literal array. For example, {"A","B","C"} or {"A";"B";"C"}

The function

Function StringConcat(Sep As String, ParamArray Args()) As Variant
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' StringConcat
' By Chip Pearson, chip@cpearson.com, www.cpearson.com
'                  www.cpearson.com/Excel/stringconcatenation.aspx
' This function concatenates all the elements in the Args array,
' delimited by the Sep character, into a single string. This function
' can be used in an array formula. There is a VBA imposed limit that
' a string in a passed in array (e.g.,  calling this function from
' an array formula in a worksheet cell) must be less than 256 characters.
' See the comments at STRING TOO LONG HANDLING for details.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Dim S As String
Dim N As Long
Dim M As Long
Dim R As Range
Dim NumDims As Long
Dim LB As Long
Dim IsArrayAlloc As Boolean

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' If no parameters were passed in, return
' vbNullString.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
If UBound(Args) - LBound(Args) + 1 = 0 Then
    StringConcat = vbNullString
    Exit Function
End If

For N = LBound(Args) To UBound(Args)
    ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    ' Loop through the Args
    ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    If IsObject(Args(N)) = True Then
        '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
        ' OBJECT
        ' If we have an object, ensure it
        ' it a Range. The Range object
        ' is the only type of object we'll
        ' work with. Anything else causes
        ' a #VALUE error.
        ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
        If TypeOf Args(N) Is Excel.Range Then
            '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            ' If it is a Range, loop through the
            ' cells and create append the elements
            ' to the string S.
            '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            For Each R In Args(N).Cells
                If Len(R.Text) > 0 Then
                    S = S & R.Text & Sep
                End If
            Next R
        Else
            '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            ' Unsupported object type. Return
            ' a #VALUE error.
            '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            StringConcat = CVErr(xlErrValue)
            Exit Function
        End If
    
    ElseIf IsArray(Args(N)) = True Then
        '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
        ' ARRAY
        ' If Args(N) is an array, ensure it
        ' is an allocated array.
        '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
        IsArrayAlloc = (Not IsError(LBound(Args(N))) And _
            (LBound(Args(N)) <= UBound(Args(N))))
        If IsArrayAlloc = True Then
            ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            ' The array is allocated. Determine
            ' the number of dimensions of the
            ' array.
            '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            NumDims = 1
            On Error Resume Next
            Err.Clear
            NumDims = 1
            Do Until Err.Number <> 0
                LB = LBound(Args(N), NumDims)
                If Err.Number = 0 Then
                    NumDims = NumDims + 1
                Else
                    NumDims = NumDims - 1
                End If
            Loop
            On Error GoTo 0
            Err.Clear
            ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            ' The array must have either
            ' one or two dimensions. Greater
            ' that two caues a #VALUE error.
            ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
            If NumDims > 2 Then
                StringConcat = CVErr(xlErrValue)
                Exit Function
            End If
            If NumDims = 1 Then
                For M = LBound(Args(N)) To UBound(Args(N))
                    If Args(N)(M) <> vbNullString Then
                        S = S & Args(N)(M) & Sep
                    End If
                Next M
                
            Else
                ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
                ' STRING TOO LONG HANDLING
                ' Here, the error handler must be set to either
                '   On Error GoTo ContinueLoop
                '   or
                '   On Error GoTo ErrH
                ' If you use ErrH, then any error, including
                ' a string too long error, will cause the function
                ' to return #VALUE and quit. If you use ContinueLoop,
                ' the problematic value is ignored and not included
                ' in the result, and the result is the concatenation
                ' of all non-error values in the input. This code is
                ' used in the case that an input string is longer than
                ' 255 characters.
                ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
                On Error GoTo ContinueLoop
                'On Error GoTo ErrH
                Err.Clear
                For M = LBound(Args(N), 1) To UBound(Args(N), 1)
                    If Args(N)(M, 1) <> vbNullString Then
                        S = S & Args(N)(M, 1) & Sep
                    End If
                Next M
                Err.Clear
                M = LBound(Args(N), 2)
                If Err.Number = 0 Then
                    For M = LBound(Args(N), 2) To UBound(Args(N), 2)
                        If Args(N)(M, 2) <> vbNullString Then
                            S = S & Args(N)(M, 2) & Sep
                        End If
                    Next M
                End If
                On Error GoTo ErrH:
            End If
        Else
            If Args(N) <> vbNullString Then
                S = S & Args(N) & Sep
            End If
        End If
        Else
        On Error Resume Next
        If Args(N) <> vbNullString Then
            S = S & Args(N) & Sep
        End If
        On Error GoTo 0
    End If
ContinueLoop:
Next N

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Remove the trailing Sep
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
If Len(Sep) > 0 Then
    If Len(S) > 0 Then
        S = Left(S, Len(S) - Len(Sep))
    End If
End If

StringConcat = S
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Success. Get out.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Exit Function
ErrH:
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Error. Return #VALUE
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
StringConcat = CVErr(xlErrValue)
End Function