How to Save VBA UserForm Textbox Input as UTF-8 Text File in Excel

Learn how to modify your VBA script to save Textbox input from an Excel UserForm as a UTF-8 encoded text file.
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How to Save VBA UserForm Textbox Input as UTF-8 Text File in Excel

If you've been working with Excel and VBA, you might have encountered a situation where you want to save the input from a UserForm Textbox into a text file. However, you may discover that it's saving in ANSI format instead of the desired UTF-8 encoding. This guide will guide you through the solution to convert your VBA script to save the content properly as a UTF-8 text file.

The Problem

You have a VBA script similar to the one below that takes input from a UserForm Textbox and writes it to a text file:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

While this code serves the purpose of saving data, it defaults to saving the file in ANSI encoding. This format may not support all characters, particularly for languages with special characters. Therefore, you need a solution that allows you to save the text file in UTF-8 format.

The Solution

To change the encoding to UTF-8, you'll need to make a few modifications in your VBA script by using the ADODB.Stream object. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Add Reference to Microsoft Active Data Objects

Before using ADODB.Stream, you will need to add a reference to your VBA project:

Open the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor in Excel by pressing ALT + F11.

Click on Tools in the menu, then select References.

Scroll down the list and check the box next to Microsoft Active Data Objects 6.1 Library. (Note: Other versions may also work.)

Step 2: Update Your WriteFile Function

Use the following updated function to save your text as UTF-8:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Integrate the New Function into Your Button Click Event

Replace your original WriteFile call with the new function in the button event:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the New Function

With New ADODB.Stream: This initializes a new stream object that allows you to work with text data.

.Type = adTypeText: This sets the type of stream to text.

.Charset = "UTF-8": This ensures that the text is encoded as UTF-8.

.Open: This opens the stream for writing.

.WriteText data: This writes the content of the textbox to the stream.

.SaveToFile FileSpec, adSaveCreateOverWrite: This saves the stream to the specified file path, overwriting if the file already exists.

.Close: This closes the stream when done.

Conclusion

By using the ADODB.Stream to handle text file operations, you can easily save your UserForm Textbox input in UTF-8 format. Not only does this method maintain the integrity of your data, especially for special characters, but it also ensures compatibility across various platforms and applications. Just remember to adjust your project references as needed to utilize these features effectively.

With this guide, you should now be able to save your text data in a modern and efficient way. If you run into any issues, feel free to return to the code and double-check your implementation steps. Happy coding!