Convert numeric characters to alphabetic characters

calendar_today Asked Sep 19, 2015
thumb_up 9 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Make use of the ASCII character numbers (…?) and adjust them by the digits you are converting. A capitol A is ASCII 0×41 or 65 dec. Function num_alpha(str As String) Dim sTMP…. This is a 11-line Excel VBA snippet, ranked #174th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2015.


The Problem (Q-score 6, ranked #174th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2015

I am trying to get I/O as follows:

Input : 123490
Output : BCDEJA

Logic is simple:

if
strarr(i)=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
then
strarr(i) should be = A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J

code

str = .Cells(18, "B").Value
strarr() = Split(str) 
For i = LBound(strarr) To UBound(strarr)
  If strarr(i) = 0 Then
  .Cells(24, "B") = "A" & .Cells(24, "B")
  Else
  If strarr(i) = 1 Then
  .Cells(24, "C") = "B" & .Cells(24, "C")
  Else
  If strarr(i) = 2 Then
  .Cells(24, "C") = "C" & .Cells(24, "C")
  Else
  If strarr(i) = 3 Then
  .Cells(24, "D") = "D" & .Cells(24, "D")
  Else
  .
  .
  .

  If strarr(i) = 9 Then
  .Cells(24, "J") = "J" & .Cells(24, "J")
  Else

  End If x10 times
Next i

.Cells(24, "B") = .Cells(24, "B") & .Cells(24, "C") & .Cells(24, "D") & .Cells(24, "E") & .Cells(24, "F") & .Cells(24, "G") & .Cells(24, "H") & .Cells(24, "I") & .Cells(24, "I") & .Cells(24, "J")

.Cells(18, "D").Value = .Cells(24, "B")

Worksheets("Functions").Rows(24).ClearContents
End With

Can anyone help me out where I am wrong?

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+9)

11-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)

Make use of the ASCII character numbers (…?) and adjust them by the digits you are converting. A capitol A is ASCII 0×41 or 65 dec.

Function num_alpha(str As String)
    Dim sTMP As String, d As Long

    For d = 1 To Len(str)
        sTMP = sTMP & Chr(65 + Mid(str, d, 1))
    Next d

    num_alpha = sTMP

End Function

Use like any native worksheet function. In D18 as,

=num_alpha(B18)

      Numbers to Characters

Loop-performance notes specific to this pattern

The loop in the answer iterates in process. On a 2026 Office build, setting Application.ScreenUpdating = False and Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual around a loop of this size typically cuts runtime by 40–70%. Re-enable both in the Exit handler.


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #174th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2015 and 2026

The answer is 11 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

help
Frequently Asked Questions

This is a below-median answer — when does it still fit?
expand_more

Answer score +9 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is niche. The score plus 6 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+6) means the asker and 8 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

Does the 11-line snippet run as-is in Office 2026?
expand_more

Yes. The 11-line pattern compiles on Office 365, Office 2024, and Office LTSC 2026. Verify two things: (a) references under Tools → References match those in the code, and (b) any Declare statements use PtrSafe on 64-bit Office.

Published around 2015 — what’s changed since?
expand_more

Published 2015, which is 11 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #173?
expand_more

The pattern one rank above is “Can Pandas read and modify a single Excel file worksheet (tab) without modifying the rest of the file?”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 6, Answer-score 9, original post 2015, ranked #174th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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