Exceeding Max Char Limit in Excel

Question

How do I use more than 255 characters in Excel\'s CONCATENATE function? I am actually also using the CONCATENATE function within the HYPERLINK function in EXCEL. An example

Answer 1

Here's some VBA which uses bitly.com to shorten a URL. It is based on the bitly API documentation.

1. Create a free account on bitly.
2. Valid email address with bitly.
3. Get access token from bitly.
4. Substitute the access token in the VBA code below where it says MY_TOKEN.
5. Copy and paste the code in Excel's VBA.
6. In a cell, write the following '=Hyperlink(GetURL("some really long URL"))' without single quote ' marks. Note: Instead of passing a string to GetURL(), pass a reference to a cell which has a URL in it as text.

Public Function GetURL(longUrl As String) As String
  Dim xml As Object

  longUrl = URLEncode(longUrl)
  Set xml = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.6.0")

  xml.Open "GET", "https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v3/shorten?format=xml&access_token=MY_TOKEN=" & longUrl, False
  xml.Send

  GetURL = xml.responsetext

  head = InStr(GetURL, "") + 5
  tail = InStr(GetURL, "")

  GetURL = Mid(GetURL, head, tail - head)

End Function

Function URLEncode(ByVal Text As String) As String
  Dim i As Integer
  Dim acode As Integer
  Dim char As String
  URLEncode = Text
  For i = Len(URLEncode) To 1 Step -1
    acode = Asc(Mid$(URLEncode, i, 1))
    Select Case acode
      Case 48 To 57, 65 To 90, 97 To 122
        ' don't touch alphanumeric chars
      Case 32
        ' replace space with "+"
        Mid$(URLEncode, i, 1) = "+"
      Case Else
        ' replace punctuation chars with "%hex"
        URLEncode = Left$(URLEncode, i - 1) & "%" & Hex$(acode) & Mid$(URLEncode, i + 1)
    End Select
  Next
End Function