ACC2000: How to Convert Currency or Numbers into English Words

This article shows you how to create a sample, user-defined function named ConvertCurrencyToEnglish() to convert a numeric value to an English word representation. For example, the function will return the following words for the number 1234.56:

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. To create the ConvertCurrencyToEnglish() function, follow these steps:

1. Create a new module and type the following line in the Declarations section if the line is not already there:

   Option Explicit
   					

2. Type the following four procedures:

   Function ConvertCurrencyToEnglish (ByVal MyNumber)
      Dim Temp
      Dim Dollars, Cents
      Dim DecimalPlace, Count
   
      ReDim Place(9) As String
      Place(2) = " Thousand "
      Place(3) = " Million "
      Place(4) = " Billion "
      Place(5) = " Trillion "
   
      ' Convert MyNumber to a string, trimming extra spaces.
      MyNumber = Trim(Str(MyNumber))
   
      ' Find decimal place.
      DecimalPlace = InStr(MyNumber, ".")
   
      ' If we find decimal place...
      If DecimalPlace > 0 Then
         ' Convert cents
         Temp = Left(Mid(MyNumber, DecimalPlace + 1) & "00", 2)
         Cents = ConvertTens(Temp)
   
         ' Strip off cents from remainder to convert.
         MyNumber = Trim(Left(MyNumber, DecimalPlace - 1))
      End If
   
      Count = 1
      Do While MyNumber <> ""
         ' Convert last 3 digits of MyNumber to English dollars.
         Temp = ConvertHundreds(Right(MyNumber, 3))
         If Temp <> "" Then Dollars = Temp & Place(Count) & Dollars
         If Len(MyNumber) > 3 Then
            ' Remove last 3 converted digits from MyNumber.
            MyNumber = Left(MyNumber, Len(MyNumber) - 3)
         Else
            MyNumber = ""
         End If
         Count = Count + 1
      Loop
   
      ' Clean up dollars.
      Select Case Dollars
         Case ""
            Dollars = "No Dollars"
         Case "One"
            Dollars = "One Dollar"
         Case Else
            Dollars = Dollars & " Dollars"
      End Select
   
      ' Clean up cents.
      Select Case Cents
         Case ""
            Cents = " And No Cents"
         Case "One"
            Cents = " And One Cent"
         Case Else
            Cents = " And " & Cents & " Cents"
      End Select
   
      ConvertCurrencyToEnglish = Dollars & Cents
   End Function
   
   Private Function ConvertHundreds (ByVal MyNumber)
      Dim Result As String
   
      ' Exit if there is nothing to convert.
      If Val(MyNumber) = 0 Then Exit Function
   
      ' Append leading zeros to number.
      MyNumber = Right("000" & MyNumber, 3)
   
      ' Do we have a hundreds place digit to convert?
      If Left(MyNumber, 1) <> "0" Then
         Result = ConvertDigit(Left(MyNumber, 1)) & " Hundred "
      End If
   
      ' Do we have a tens place digit to convert?
      If Mid(MyNumber, 2, 1) <> "0" Then
         Result = Result & ConvertTens(Mid(MyNumber, 2))
      Else
         ' If not, then convert the ones place digit.
         Result = Result & ConvertDigit(Mid(MyNumber, 3))
      End If
   
      ConvertHundreds = Trim(Result)
   End Function
   
   Private Function ConvertTens (ByVal MyTens)
      Dim Result As String
   
      ' Is value between 10 and 19?
      If Val(Left(MyTens, 1)) = 1 Then
         Select Case Val(MyTens)
            Case 10: Result = "Ten"
            Case 11: Result = "Eleven"
            Case 12: Result = "Twelve"
            Case 13: Result = "Thirteen"
            Case 14: Result = "Fourteen"
            Case 15: Result = "Fifteen"
            Case 16: Result = "Sixteen"
            Case 17: Result = "Seventeen"
            Case 18: Result = "Eighteen"
            Case 19: Result = "Nineteen"
            Case Else
         End Select
      Else
         ' .. otherwise it's between 20 and 99.
         Select Case Val(Left(MyTens, 1))
            Case 2: Result = "Twenty "
            Case 3: Result = "Thirty "
            Case 4: Result = "Forty "
            Case 5: Result = "Fifty "
            Case 6: Result = "Sixty "
            Case 7: Result = "Seventy "
            Case 8: Result = "Eighty "
            Case 9: Result = "Ninety "
            Case Else
         End Select
   
         ' Convert ones place digit.
         Result = Result & ConvertDigit(Right(MyTens, 1))
      End If
   
      ConvertTens = Result
   End Function
   
   Private Function ConvertDigit (ByVal MyDigit)
      Select Case Val(MyDigit)
         Case 1: ConvertDigit = "One"
         Case 2: ConvertDigit = "Two"
         Case 3: ConvertDigit = "Three"
         Case 4: ConvertDigit = "Four"
         Case 5: ConvertDigit = "Five"
         Case 6: ConvertDigit = "Six"
         Case 7: ConvertDigit = "Seven"
         Case 8: ConvertDigit = "Eight"
         Case 9: ConvertDigit = "Nine"
         Case Else: ConvertDigit = ""
      End Select
   End Function
   					

3. To test this function, type the following line in the Immediate window, and then press ENTER:

   ? ConvertCurrencyToEnglish(1234.56)
   					

How to Use the ConvertCurrencyToEnglish() Function on a Form

To demonstrate the use of the ConvertCurrencyToEnglish function on a form, follow these steps:

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Open the Orders form in Design view and add a text box to the form. Set the text box's ControlSource property as follows:

      =ConvertCurrencyToEnglish([Total])
   					

3. Open the Orders form in Form view. Note that the text box displays an English word representation of the total order amount computed in the form's Total field.