[VBnet Helpers] Pure VB: Determine the Number of Digits in a Number


	Visual Basic Helper Routines Pure VB: Determine the Number of Digits in a Number

Posted:	Sunday October 3, 1999
Updated:	Monday December 26, 2011

Applies to:	VB4-32, VB5, VB6
Developed with:	VB6, Windows NT4
OS restrictions:	None
Author:	Newsgroup, Rui Trigueiros

Prerequisites

None.

This was originally a one-line routine found on the newsgroups. However, the original function failed to report the correct size of the integer portion of a number when the number passed was a power of 10. With the assistance of Rui Trigueiros the routine has been corrected to now accurately return the number of digits in the integer portion of a number passed to the function, up to a maximum of 10 ^ 16 -2. Thus if 9999.99999999 was passed, the function would return 4 representing the number of digits before the decimal point.

The code also contains a test routine and a helper routine that will return the decimal character used by the local system to separate the integer portion of a number from the decimal side. This function is used only by the test routine and is unneeded in the GetDigitCount function, but can be used in any app to accurately return the current decimal character. In fact, if you open control panel's regional settings and change the decimal separator value you can see the effect of the routine.

Revision history

July 12.2004	Modified routine to correctly handle powers of 10
July 15.2004	Correction to handle rounding of numbers and variables with 0 value.

BAS Module Code

None.

Form Code

To a form add a command button along with the following code:

Option Explicit

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2011 VBnet/Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Distribution: You can freely use this code in your own
'               applications, but you may not reproduce 
'               or publish this code on any web site,
'               online service, or distribute as source 
'               on any media without express permission.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Private Function GetDigitCount(inValue As Double) As Long

  'due to the way doubles are represented,
  'and incorrect value could be returned
  'if inValue exceeds (10 ^ 16) - 2

  'the next two lines are required in order
  'to correctly handle all numbers up to
  '(10 ^ 16) - 2.  The routine will not work
  'correctly in a compiled app if the INCREMENT
  'constant code is placed in-line in the
  'GetDigitCount line below.
   Const INCREMENT As Double = 1 + (10 ^ -15)
   inValue = Int(Abs(inValue))
   
   If inValue > 0 Then
      GetDigitCount = Int(Log(inValue + 0.99) / Log(10) + INCREMENT)
   Else
      GetDigitCount = 1
   End If

End Function


Private Function GetLocalDecimalChar() As String

  'helper routine for test code
  '
  'returns the char used as the decimal
  'separator for the installed language per
  'control panel>regional settings>customize
   GetLocalDecimalChar = Mid$(CStr(3.3), 2, 1)

End Function


Private Sub Command1_Click()

  'test code
  
   Dim cnt As Long
   Dim sNum As String
   Dim sDigSep As String
   Const MAXTEST As Long = 15

   sDigSep = GetLocalDecimalChar()

  'string with 1 to 15 9's - the decimal
  'sign moves from left to right
   For cnt = 1 To MAXTEST
      sNum = String(cnt, "9") & _
               IIf(cnt < MAXTEST, sDigSep & String(MAXTEST - cnt, "9"), "")
      Print sNum, GetDigitCount(CDbl(sNum))
   Next cnt

  'simple tests for 0 and 1
   Print
   Print 0, , GetDigitCount(0)
   Print 1, , GetDigitCount(1)
   
  'results for powers of 10
   For cnt = 1 To MAXTEST
      sNum = "1" & String(cnt, "0")
      Print sNum, GetDigitCount(CDbl(sNum))
   Next cnt

End Sub

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