XL: Error When You Concatenate String and Numeric Values

• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you concatenate (join) several pieces of information together in a Microsoft Excel macro, the following error message may appear:

   Run-time Error '13':
   Type mismatch

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

• You use the plus sign, instead of the ampersand (&), as the concatenation operator in a macro.

      -and-
  

• You concatenate a text string and a numeric value.

WORKAROUND

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   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

Method 1: Use the Ampersand Operator Instead of the Plus Sign

   Sub Concatenate()
    
      Dim part1 ' Declare variable.
      Dim part2 ' Declare variable.
      part1 = "abc"
      part2 = 123
      MsgBox part1 & part2

   End Sub

Method 2: Assign the Numeric Variable to a String Value

   Sub Concatenate()

      Dim part1 ' Declare variable.
      Dim part2 ' Declare variable.
      part1 = "abc"
      part2 = "123"
      MsgBox part1 + part2

   End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Use the ampersand operator to connect or concatenate two or more values to produce one text value. Use the plus operator to perform addition on two or more numeric values. Although you can use the plus sign for concatenation, use the ampersand to eliminate ambiguity.

REFERENCES

For more information about Concatenation Operators in Microsoft Excel version 7.0, click Answer Wizard on the Help menu and type:

   concatenation operators

   concatenation