Question

VBA for Access lacks a simple Max(x,y) function to find the mathematical maximum of two or more values. I’m accustomed to having such a function already in the base API coming from other languages such as perl/php/ruby/python etc.

I know it can be done: IIf(x > y, x,y). Are there any other solutions available?

Answer 1

I’ll interpret the question to read:

How does one implement a function in Access that returns the Max/Min of an array of numbers? Here’s the code I use (named “iMax” by analogy with IIf, i.e., “Immediate If”/”Immediate Max”):

  Public Function iMax(ParamArray p()) As Variant
  ' Idea from Trevor Best in Usenet MessageID [e-mail]
    Dim i As Long
    Dim v As Variant

    v = p(LBound(p))
    For i = LBound(p) + 1 To UBound(p)
      If v < p(i) Then
         v = p(i)
      End If
    Next
    iMax = v
  End Function

  Public Function iMin(ParamArray p()) As Variant
  ' Idea from Trevor Best in Usenet MessageID [e-mail]
    Dim i As Long
    Dim v As Variant

    v = p(LBound(p))
    For i = LBound(p) + 1 To UBound(p)
      If v > p(i) Then
         v = p(i)
      End If
    Next
    iMin = v
  End Function

As to why Access wouldn’t implement it, it’s not a very common thing to need, seems to me. It’s not very “databasy”, either. You’ve already got all the functions you need for finding Max/Min across domain and in sets of rows. It’s also not very hard to implement, or to just code as a one-time comparison when you need it.

Maybe the above will help somebody.