Remove delimiters from Join() Function in EXcel VBA - arrays

Question

I am a novice programmer and I'm building a form via VBA for excel where the user will input employee's time sheet and their initials via 16 text box's in the form. The text boxes data are stored to a string array. The code is:
Dim initials(15) As String
initials(0) = TB_Initials_1
initials(1) = TB_Initials_2
initials(2) = TB_Initials_3
...
initials(15) = TB_Initials_15
After using the find function and referencing some data from a one excel sheet, I use
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = Join(initials, ".")
to output the following
"js.rs.............." to the active cell in a different excel sheet, (I only entered 2 of the 16 input boxes, hence there's two initials. JS.RS
The trailing .............. is what I want to remove. this will be imported into a Database later via the excel sheet.
How can I remove the xtras ".........'s at the end of the string? I have tried the "Trim()" function, but that does not work in my case. Everything i've tried online does not seem to work either or is referencing items from a work book, not a text box.
Any help is appreciated.
The entire code is below:
Option Explicit
'Variable declaration
Dim startTime(15), endTime(15), ST_Finish_Date As Date
Dim totalmin(15), Total_min, Total_Cost, Rate(15), Line_cost(15), Cost_Per_Part As String
Dim initials(15) As String
Dim i, ii As Integer
Dim Found_ini(15) As Range
Dim Found As Range 'returned value from find
Dim TBtraveller_value As String 'text box traveller value
Dim Found2 As Range 'store part code range
Dim TBDESC As Range ' Returned value from 2nd search
Dim BL_Find_Check As Boolean
Private Sub CB_Write_Click()
create_csv
End Sub
Private Sub Close_Form_Click()
Unload Traveller_Entry
End Sub
'still need to make this for every start / stop time text box.
Private Sub TB_Time_Start_1_BeforeUpdate(ByVal Cancel As MSForms.ReturnBoolean)
Dim myvar As String
If Not Me.TB_Time_Start_1 Like "??:??" Then
MsgBox "Please use format 'HH:MM'"
Cancel = True
Exit Sub
End If
myvar = Format(Me.TB_Time_Start_1, "hh:mm")
Me.TB_Time_Start_1 = myvar
End Sub
Public Sub travellerNUM_TextBox_Exit(ByVal Cancel As MSForms.ReturnBoolean)
Workbooks("Traveller entryxlsm.xlsm").Activate
TBtraveller_value = travellerNUM_TextBox.Value
If TBtraveller_value = "" Then
MsgBox ("Enter a Shop Traveller Number!")
Exit Sub
Else
TBtraveller_value = travellerNUM_TextBox.Value
Set Found = Sheets("woss").Range("A:A").Find(what:=TBtraveller_value, lookat:=xlWhole)
If Found Is Nothing Then
MsgBox (TBtraveller_value & " Not Found!")
Exit Sub
Else
Part_Code_BOX.Value = Found.Offset(0, 1) 'enters the info into the Part Code Box.
Set Found2 = Found.Offset(0, 1)
End If
If Part_Code_BOX = "" Then
MsgBox ("Traveller number " & TBtraveller_value & " has no part code associated with it." & vbCrLf & "Check Work Order Spread Sheet is FULLY Complete.")
BL_Find_Check = True
Exit Sub
End If
Set TBDESC = Sheets("ProductList").Range("B:B").Find(what:=Found2, lookat:=xlPart)
If TBDESC Is Nothing Then
MsgBox (" Dscription Not Found!")
Else
Desc_Box = TBDESC.Offset(0, 1) 'enters the description into the description Box.
FinishDate_Box = Found.Offset(0, 8) 'enters the finish date into the finish date Box.
Employee = Found.Offset(0, 2) 'enters the Employee name into the employee name Box.
End If
End If
End Sub
Public Sub CB_POST_Click()
On Error Resume Next
startTime(0) = TB_Time_Start_1.Value
startTime(1) = TB_Time_Start_2.Value
startTime(2) = TB_Time_Start_3.Value
startTime(3) = TB_Time_Start_4.Value
startTime(4) = TB_Time_Start_5.Value
startTime(5) = TB_Time_Start_6.Value
startTime(6) = TB_Time_Start_7.Value
startTime(7) = TB_Time_Start_8.Value
startTime(8) = TB_Time_Start_9.Value
startTime(9) = TB_Time_Start_10.Value
startTime(10) = TB_Time_Start_11.Value
startTime(11) = TB_Time_Start_12.Value
startTime(12) = TB_Time_Start_13.Value
startTime(13) = TB_Time_Start_14.Value
startTime(14) = TB_Time_Start_15.Value
startTime(15) = TB_Time_Start_16.Value
endTime(0) = TB_Time_Stop_1.Value
endTime(1) = TB_Time_Stop_2.Value
endTime(2) = TB_Time_Stop_3.Value
endTime(3) = TB_Time_Stop_4.Value
endTime(4) = TB_Time_Stop_5.Value
endTime(5) = TB_Time_Stop_6.Value
endTime(6) = TB_Time_Stop_7.Value
endTime(7) = TB_Time_Stop_8.Value
endTime(8) = TB_Time_Stop_9.Value
endTime(9) = TB_Time_Stop_10.Value
endTime(10) = TB_Time_Stop_11.Value
endTime(11) = TB_Time_Stop_12.Value
endTime(12) = TB_Time_Stop_13.Value
endTime(13) = TB_Time_Stop_14.Value
endTime(14) = TB_Time_Stop_15.Value
endTime(15) = TB_Time_Stop_16.Value
initials(0) = TB_Initials_1
initials(1) = TB_Initials_2
initials(2) = TB_Initials_3
initials(3) = TB_Initials_4
initials(4) = TB_Initials_5
initials(5) = TB_Initials_6
initials(6) = TB_Initials_7
initials(7) = TB_Initials_8
initials(8) = TB_Initials_9
initials(9) = TB_Initials_10
initials(10) = TB_Initials_11
initials(11) = TB_Initials_12
initials(12) = TB_Initials_13
initials(13) = TB_Initials_14
initials(14) = TB_Initials_15
initials(15) = TB_Initials_16
For i = LBound(initials) To UBound(initials)
Set Found_ini(i) = Sheets("rate").Range("B:B").Find(what:=initials(i), lookat:=xlWhole)
Rate(i) = Found_ini(i).Offset(0, 1) 'finds rate for given initials
totalmin(i) = DateDiff("N", startTime(i), endTime(i))
If Found_ini(i) Is Nothing Then
MsgBox (initials(i) & " Not Found! Update Employee Database.")
Exit Sub
'If IsEmpty(Found_ini(i)) = False And IsEmpty(startTime(i)) = True And IsEmpty(endTime(i)) = True Then
'MsgBox "Enter Some Initials, None Found"
Exit Sub
End If
Next
For ii = LBound(totalmin) To UBound(totalmin)
Line_cost(ii) = totalmin(ii) / 60 * Rate(ii)
Next
Total_min = Application.WorksheetFunction.Sum(totalmin)
Total_Cost = Application.WorksheetFunction.Sum(Line_cost)
Cost_Per_Part = Total_Cost / TextBOX_QTYBUILT
If Total_min = 0 Then
MsgBox (" Enter Some Time!")
ElseIf Total_min < 0 Then
MsgBox ("Time is NEGATIVE. Check Entered Times.")
End If
If BL_Find_Check = False Then
MsgBox "The number of minutes between two Times : " & Total_min & vbNewLine & "total cost: " & Total_Cost _
& vbNewLine & "cost Per Part " & Cost_Per_Part, vbInformation, "Minutes Between Two Times"
Sheets("test").Select
Range("A1048576").Select
ActiveCell.End(xlUp).Select
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Select
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 0).Value = FinishDate_Box 'Traveller finish Date
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Value = TBtraveller_value 'Traveller Number
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = Join(initials, ".") 'Traveller Employee Given to
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 3).Value = Part_Code_BOX.Value ' part number
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 4).Value = Total_Cost ' traveller total cost
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 5).Value = Cost_Per_Part 'Traveller cost per part
End If
End Sub
Sub create_csv()
Dim FileName As String
Dim PathName As String
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("test")
FileName = "CSV_Output_R1.csv"
PathName = Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
ws.Copy
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs FileName:=PathName & "\" & FileName, _
FileFormat:=xlCSV, CreateBackup:=False
End Sub
Thank you,

Answer 1

You can use WorksheetFunction.TextJoin() in Excel2019+ in one string:
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = WorksheetFunction.TextJoin(".", True, initials)
A small example for comparison:
Sub test1()
Dim arr(1 To 15)
For i = 1 To 15
arr(i) = IIf(Rnd() > 0.7, "TXT", "")
Next
Debug.Print "With Join(): " & Join(arr, ".")
Debug.Print "With TextJoin(): " & WorksheetFunction.TextJoin(".", True, arr)
End Sub
Output
With Join(): ..TXT........TXT..TXT..
With TextJoin(): TXT.TXT.TXT

Answer 2

Here is a function that I just made to trim empty elements off the end of your array:
Function TrimArray(ByRef StringArray() As String) As String()
'This function removes trailing empty elements from arrays
'Searching from the last element backwards until a non-blank is found
Dim i As Long
For i = UBound(StringArray) To LBound(StringArray) Step -1
If StringArray(i) <> "" Then Exit For
Next i
If i < LBound(StringArray) Then i = LBound(StringArray)
'Creating an array with the correct size to hold the non-blank elements
Dim OutArr() As String
OutArr = StringArray
ReDim Preserve OutArr(LBound(StringArray) To i)
TrimArray = OutArr
End Function
You would use it like so:
Dim Output() As String
Output = TrimArray(initials)
MsgBox Join(Output, ".") & "."

Answer 3

You could build it like this instead of using Join():
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = initials(0)
For Counter = 1 To 15
If initials(Counter) <> "" Then
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = ActiveCell.Offset(0, 2).Value + "." + initials(Counter)
End If
Next Counter