Automaticaaly and instantaneously removes spaces from a value in the same cell where a value has been entered - vba

Question

To begin with I am not at all familiar with vba coding...
I am trying to remove two spaces in a cell with value in it, a text formatted cell for entering big numbers for example 1234 123456 123456...I want the spaces in between the numbers to get removed to give me a number 1234123456123456 without changing the format of the cell and in the same cell where it was initially inserted by copying...
I copy these kinds of number one at a time from a place which provides numbers with spaces and I have to search them in a program which does not except spaces, rather it wont even copy the entire number including spaces.
It must happen automatically as soon as I paste the number in it and click outside the cell or hit enter. Total no. of digits usually is between 16-20... but never less than 16. and always has two spaces. Current after coping the number in the cell I have to delete the two spaces manually and then use it. Once worked on the case is complete then only I can get the next number to work on.
I have used a vba script to generate date in another cell if this column in question has been populated with a value...
the code i have already used is
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
If Not Application.Intersect(Target, Columns("C:C")) Is Nothing Then
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Format(Now, "mm/dd/yyyy")
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = "CL-"
End If
End Sub
I have uploaded the file here link .. so if you want to look into the excel you may...
Please tell me how can I do so and every other details to make it work.. Thanks :)

Answer 1

this one turned out to be allot simpler than i thought it would be :) enjoy and thanks for the opportunity to learn from your questions!
This script will run through all the cells in column A (1) and remove the spaces. the code for changing just one cell to include in the rest of your script would be the section within the for loop.
Sub changeText()
Dim lastRow As Integer
Dim completeString As String
'turn screen updating off (speed things up)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
'use active sheet from now on
With ActiveSheet
'Find the last used row in column A
lastRow = .Cells(.Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
'iterate through each row from first to last (change 1 to account for headings)
For i = 3 To lastRow
'get the complete string from the cell
completeString = Cells(i, 3).Value
'replace all spaces in string with nothing
completeString = Replace(completeString, " ", "")
'enter new value into the same cell it was originally
Cells(i, 3).Value = completeString
'set the cell formatting to number with no decimal places
Cells(i, 3).NumberFormat = "#"
'next iteration
Next i
End With
'allow the screen to update again
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Edit
I changed 3 numbers from my original code. All that was required was to change these lines so that it works with how your spreadsheet was set out.
Change starting value of i to 3 to account for the two rows of headings you have
For i = 3 to lastRow
change these rows so that it performs the operation on column 3 or 'C'
completeString = Cells(i, 3).Value
Cells(i, 3).Value = completeString
Cells(i, 3).NumberFormat = "#"
Edit 2
Ok so what you actually wanted was code that changed the values automatically once they were entered. I modified your worksheet_change sub to achieve this using a similar technique to above. This got me a little bit confused initially as I got trapped in a loop because by changing the cell you then activate the sub to run again... Anyway a little if gate so that it only changes it if spaces are present solved it!
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim completeString As String
If Not Application.Intersect(Target, Columns("C:C")) Is Nothing Then
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Format(Now, "mm/dd/yyyy")
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = "CL-"
completeString = Target.Offset(0, 0).Value
If InStr(completeString, " ") > 0 Then
completeString = Replace(completeString, " ", "")
Target.Offset(0, 0).Value = completeString
Target.Offset(0, 0).NumberFormat = "#"
End If
End If
End Sub
Edit 3
It worked with the previous code but when I was trying to edit the no. which was already entered it was making the 16th and later digit turn into 0.... so I made a little change, that is to let the value remain in text format. but serious its just customizing to my need. rest all the hard work is done by D Mason who is the one who created the body of the code.
*Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim completeString As String
If Not Application.Intersect(Target, Columns("C:C")) Is Nothing
Then
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Format(Now, "mm/dd/yyyy")
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = "CL-"
completeString = Target.Offset(0, 0).Value
If InStr(completeString, " ") > 0 Then
completeString = Replace(completeString, " ", "")
Target.Offset(0, 0).Value = CStr(completeString)
'let the value remain in text format instead of number.
End If
End If
End Sub*

Answer 2

Without any VBA, you can select the range of cells and do a Find replace " " with nothing. Ctrl F - > Add a space in the "Find" cell and do nothing in the Replace box and say
"Replace All". All the spaces will be replaced with nothing i.e. removed.

Answer 3

Maybe you could try using Regex?
Please make sure you first go to the Tools>References menu in the VBA IDE (Alt F11) and select Microsoft VBScript Regular Expressions 5.5, which will allow the use of RegExp objects in your code.
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rgx As RegExp
Set rgx = New RegExp
With rgx
.Pattern = " " 'searching for spaces
.Global = True 'all matches (not only the first match)
Target.Cells(1, 1).Value = .Replace(Target.Cells(1, 1).Value, "") 'replace matches by ""
End With
End Sub
This will replace all spaces, not only two of them, nor will it check that your input only consists of numbers and two spaces. You could use regex functions to improve this though.