Documentation/Calc Functions/LEFT
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Function name:
LEFT
Category:
Text
Summary:
Extracts a sub-string from the left of the supplied text string, with the length of the sub-string specified in characters.
Syntax:
LEFT(Text[; Number])
Returns:
Returns a text string comprising the specified number of characters from the left side of the supplied text string.
Arguments:
Text is a text string (in quotation marks), a number, or a reference to a cell containing one of those types, that is the string from which characters are to be extracted.
Number is a non-negative integer, or a reference to a cell containing a non-negative integer, that is the number of characters to be extracted. If Number is omitted, LEFT uses the value 1.
- If Number is non-numeric, then LEFT reports a #VALUE! error.
- If Number is a non-integer value, LEFT truncates it to an integer value.
- If Number is less than 0, then LEFT reports an invalid argument error (Err:502).
- If Text has fewer characters than the value of Number, LEFT returns a copy of Text.
Additional details:
None.
Examples:
Formula | Description | Returns |
---|---|---|
=LEFT("Input string"; 2) | Here the function returns the first two characters of the supplied string. | In |
=LEFT(12,345.6789; 5) | Here the function returns the first five digits of the supplied number, formatted as a text string. | 12345 |
=LEFT(D1; D2) where cell D1 contains the string "Input string" and cell D2 contains the number 3. | Here the function returns the first three characters of the supplied string. | Inp |
=LEFT("Input string") | Here the function returns the first character of the supplied string. The default value of 1 is applied when the Number argument is omitted. | I |
=LEFT("Input string"; 0) | Here the function returns the empty string. |
Related LibreOffice functions:
ODF standard:
Related (or similar) Excel functions:
LEFT