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# An Article About Nothing
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/an-article-about-nothing/
- Published: 2023-08-11T03:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T12:37:00.000Z
- Description: This one's for the nihilists. We explore the many ways to express the concept of nothingness in VBA.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: VBA, Intermediate, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

There are at least seven identifiers that convey nothingness in VBA:

- `Nothing`
- `Null`
- `""`
- `vbNullString`
- `vbNullChar`
- `Empty`
- `Missing`

## Nothing

`Nothing` is the starting value of an object variable before it has been initialized (or after it has been explicitly set to Nothing).

[Much Ado About NothingAn in-depth look at the Nothing keyword in VBA: when you need it; when you don’t; and one technique to avoid it altogether.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/08/VBA-s-Nothing-Keyword.jpeg)](https://nolongerset.com/much-ado-about-nothing/)

## Null

Null is a value that generally means "unknown." In VBA, only `Variant` data types can hold a value of `Null`. We use the `IsNull()` function to test if a variable contains a null value.

[Working with Null in Microsoft AccessLet’s explore the many ways to check for, handle, and store Null values. Spoiler alert: the best way to do it varies between VBA and SQL.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/08/Working-with-Null.jpeg)](https://nolongerset.com/null-in-ms-access/)

## ""

Two double quotes on their own are used to represent a zero-length string.

## vbNullString

The built-in `vbNullString` constant is similar to `""`. The two can be used interchangeably in most situations. 

The key difference is that `""` is a real string (meaning it occupies storage in memory) whereas `vbNullString` is a "null string pointer." VBA treats it like a string, but it points to a memory address of zero (meaning it does not exist in memory).

[The vbNullString Constant in VBAWhat is the vbNullString constant in VBA and how does it differ from a simple empty string (”″)?![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/09/The-vbNullString-Constant-in-VBA.png)](https://nolongerset.com/vbnullstring/)

## vbNullChar

Character with an ASCII code of zero. Equivalent to `Chr(0)`.

This constant is most often used when interacting with C/C++ via API calls, as C-style strings use the null character to indicate the end of a string.

[The vbNullChar Constant in VBAWhat is the vbNullChar constant in VBA and how does it differ from vbNullString?![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/11/Mastering-the-vbNullChar-constant-in-VBA.jpeg)](https://nolongerset.com/the-vbnullchar-constant-in-vba/)

## Empty

This is the starting value of a `Variant` variable before it has been assigned a value. Use the function `IsEmpty()` to check for this value.

[Working with Empty in VBAA deep dive into the Empty keyword in VBA: why it exists, how to check for it, when it makes sense to check for it, and--most importantly--how NOT to check for it.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/08/Working-with-Empty-in-VBA.png)](https://nolongerset.com/empty-in-vba/)

## Missing

This is the value of an `Optional` `Variant` parameter when the calling code does not assign a value to the parameter. Use the function `IsMissing()` to check for this value.

[The Missing Keyword in VBAWondering what the IsMissing() function is all about in VBA? We’ll explore that plus all the ins and outs of the VBA keyword that isn’t: Missing.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2023/08/Missing-Keyword.png)](https://nolongerset.com/the-missing-keyword/)

---

*This article inspired by [A Show About Nothing](https://youtu.be/tSEEInFN%5FbY?t=209):*

*Cover image created with [Microsoft Designer](https://designer.microsoft.com/)*

***UPDATE*** *\[2023-08-11\]: Added brief mentions of the `IsEmpty()` and `IsMissing()` functions that are used to check for `Empty` and `Missing` values, respectively (h/t Colin Riddington).*

***UPDATE*** *\[2023-09-06\]: Added links to deep dives on the following topics: Nothing, Null, Empty, and Missing.*

***UPDATE*** *\[2023-11-21\]: Added links to deep dives on the following topic: vbNullString and vbNullChar.*