Unlocking Hidden Gems: Extracting a Numeric Value from the Middle of a String Field in MS Access 2016

As a database administrator, you’re no stranger to dealing with messy data. Sometimes, you inherit datasets with string fields containing numeric values buried deep within. Extracting these values can be a painstaking task, especially when working with MS Access 2016. Fear not, dear reader! Today, we’ll embark on a thrilling adventure to extract a numeric value from the middle of a string field in MS Access 2016. Buckle up, and let’s dive into the world of string manipulation!

The Problem: A String Field with a Hidden Numeric Value

Imagine you’re working with a table called “Orders” that contains a string field called “OrderID” with values like ” INV-00123-XYZ” or “ORD-00456-ABC”. Your task is to extract the numeric part of the string, which is the order number (00123 or 00456). Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s not as straightforward as it seems.

The Challenge: MS Access 2016’s Limited String Functions

MS Access 2016 provides several string functions, such as Left(), Right(), and Mid(), to manipulate strings. However, these functions are limited when it comes to extracting a numeric value from the middle of a string. You can use the Mid() function to extract a substring, but it requires a fixed starting position and length, which isn’t suitable for our task.

The Solution: A Combination of String Functions and a Bit of Creativity

To extract the numeric value, we’ll use a combination of the following string functions:

• Left()
• Right()
• Mid()
• InStr()
• Val()

We’ll also employ a bit of creative problem-solving to overcome the limitations of MS Access 2016’s string functions.

Step 1: Find the Starting Position of the Numeric Value

The first step is to find the starting position of the numeric value within the string. We can use the InStr() function to locate the position of the first numeric character. Let’s assume our string field is called “OrderID”.

StartingPos = InStr(1, [OrderID], "0") + 1

The InStr() function returns the position of the first occurrence of the specified character (in this case, “0”). We add 1 to the result because we want to start extracting the numeric value from the next character.

Step 2: Find the Length of the Numeric Value

The next step is to find the length of the numeric value. We can use the InStr() function again to locate the position of the next non-numeric character after the starting position.

Length = InStr(StartingPos, [OrderID], "-") - StartingPos

We subtract the starting position from the result to get the length of the numeric value.

Step 3: Extract the Numeric Value

Now that we have the starting position and length of the numeric value, we can use the Mid() function to extract it.

NumericValue = Mid([OrderID], StartingPos, Length)

The Mid() function returns the substring starting from the specified position with the specified length.

Step 4: Convert the Extracted Value to a Numeric Data Type

The extracted value is still a string. We need to convert it to a numeric data type using the Val() function.

NumericValue = Val(NumericValue)

The Val() function returns the numeric value of the specified string.

Putting it All Together: A Working Example

Create a new module in your MS Access 2016 database and paste the following code:

Function ExtractNumericValue(str As String) As Variant
    Dim StartingPos As Integer
    Dim Length As Integer
    Dim NumericValue As String
    
    ' Find the starting position of the numeric value
    StartingPos = InStr(1, str, "0") + 1
    
    ' Find the length of the numeric value
    Length = InStr(StartingPos, str, "-") - StartingPos
    
    ' Extract the numeric value
    NumericValue = Mid(str, StartingPos, Length)
    
    ' Convert the extracted value to a numeric data type
    ExtractNumericValue = Val(NumericValue)
End Function

Call the function in your query or form:

SELECT ExtractNumericValue([OrderID]) AS NumericValue
FROM Orders;

Tips and Variations

Handling Multiple Numeric Values

If your string field contains multiple numeric values, you can modify the function to extract each value separately.

Function ExtractNumericValues(str As String) As Variant
    Dim StartingPos As Integer
    Dim Length As Integer
    Dim NumericValue As String
    Dim Result As Variant
    
    ' Initialize the result array
    Result = Array()
    
    ' Loop until no more numeric values are found
    While InStr(1, str, "0") > 0
        ' Find the starting position of the numeric value
        StartingPos = InStr(1, str, "0") + 1
        
        ' Find the length of the numeric value
        Length = InStr(StartingPos, str, "-") - StartingPos
        
        ' Extract the numeric value
        NumericValue = Mid(str, StartingPos, Length)
        
        ' Convert the extracted value to a numeric data type
        Result = Result & Val(NumericValue)
        
        ' Remove the extracted value from the original string
        str = Replace(str, NumericValue, "")
    Wend
    
    ExtractNumericValues = Result
End Function

Handling Non-Numeric Characters

If your string field contains non-numeric characters, you can modify the function to ignore them.

Function ExtractNumericValue(str As String) As Variant
    Dim StartingPos As Integer
    Dim Length As Integer
    Dim NumericValue As String
    Dim Result As Variant
    Dim i As Integer
    
    ' Initialize the result variable
    Result = ""
    
    ' Loop through each character in the string
    For i = 1 To Len(str)
        If IsNumeric(Mid(str, i, 1)) Then
            ' Append the numeric character to the result
            Result = Result & Mid(str, i, 1)
        End If
    Next i
    
    ' Convert the extracted value to a numeric data type
    ExtractNumericValue = Val(Result)
End Function

Conclusion

Extracting a numeric value from the middle of a string field in MS Access 2016 may seem like a daunting task, but with the right combination of string functions and a bit of creativity, you can achieve it. Remember to adapt the solutions to your specific needs and data requirements. Happy coding!

Function	Description
InStr()	Returns the position of the first occurrence of a specified character in a string.
Mid()	Returns a substring from a specified position with a specified length.
Val()	Returns the numeric value of a specified string.
Left()	Returns a specified number of characters from the left side of a string.
Right()	Returns a specified number of characters from the right side of a string.

By following the steps and examples in this article, you should be able to extract numeric values from the middle of a string field in MS Access 2016. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Get ready to unlock the secrets of extracting numeric values from the middle of a String field in MS Access 2016! We’ve got you covered with these frequently asked questions and answers.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.