msg = Application.Substitute(activeCell.formula,"!",".")

or, in Excel 2000 and later use the replace function.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"rl" wrote in message
...
I have a question regarding the exclamation mark in a formula when you
reference another worksheet's cell (ie... Sheet2!A1 ) Why is an
exclamation
mark used? History behind this? Is there anyway that an excel setting
could replace this '!' with something another character?

I'm hoping to read the formula using VBA but would like to see it in a
different format such as "Sheet2.A1" and don't want spend the time to
search & replace character if unnecessary....

please advise....

Regis