Name

RGB Function

Syntax

RGB(red, green, blue)

red

Use: Required

Data Type: Integer

A number between 0 and 255, inclusive.

green

Use: Required

Data Type: Integer

A number between 0 and 255, inclusive.

blue

Use: Required

Data Type: Integer

A number between 0 and 255, inclusive.

Return Value

A Long integer representing the RGB color value.

Description

Returns a system color code that can be assigned to object color properties.

Rules at a Glance

  • The RGB color value represents the relative intensity of the red, green, and blue components of a pixel that produces a specific color on the display.

  • The RGB function assumes any argument greater than 255 is 255.

  • The following table demonstrates how the individual color values combine to create certain colors:

Color

Red

Green

Blue

Black

0

0

0

Blue

0

0

255

Green

0

255

0

Red

255

0

0

White

255

255

255

Programming Tips and Gotchas

  • The RGB value is derived with the following formula:

    RGB = red  + (green * 256) + (blue * 65536)

    In other words, the individual color components are stored in the opposite order one would expect. VBScript stores the red color component in the low-order byte of the long integer’s low-order word, the green color in the high-order byte of the low-order word, and the blue color in the low-order byte of the high-order word.

  • VBScript has a wide range of intrinsic color constants that can assign color values directly to color properties of objects. For a list of these, see Appendix B.

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