Chapter 2 – Data types and Variables

In this chapter, we will learn different data types used in VBA, their usage and practical examples of declaring variables. Finally we will learn valid variable names and Naming Conventions.

VBA provides very simple way to declare variables, using Dim statement you can declare variables

Syntax:

Dim VariableName as DataType

Example 1:

Code:

Dim strName As String

Result: VBA creates a variable named strName with String data type

Example 2:

Code:

Dim iNumber As Integer

Result: VBA creates a variable named iNumber with Integer data type

Example 3:

Code:

Dim objOutlook As Object

Result: VBA creates a variable named objOutlook with Object data type

Example 4:

Code:

Dim vResult

Result: VBA creates a variable named vResult with Variant data type

1. Variable name must begin with a letter
2. Variable name cannot be more than 255 character long
3. Variable names cannot contain space and periods, you can use underscore (_) in place of space and periods
4. Variables in VBA are non-case sensitive that means you cannot declare two variables with names strName and strNAME

Most of the developers follow a naming convention while declaring the variables. You can also call it as prefix which is used in the beginning of a variable name. A good naming convention helps you and others to easily read and understand the codes. See below the list of commonly used naming conventions: