LEFT returns the first character or characters in a text string, based on the number of characters you specify.
Syntax
LEFT(text,num_chars)
Text is the text string that contains the characters you want to extract.
Num_chars specifies the number of characters you want LEFT to extract.
Num_chars must be greater than or equal to zero.
If num_chars is greater than the length of text, LEFT returns all of text.
If num_chars is omitted, it is assumed to be 1.
Example
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank spreadsheet.
Selecting an example from Help
Data | |
---|---|
Sale Price | |
Sweden | |
Formula | Description (Result) |
=LEFT(A2,4) | First four characters in the first string (Sale) |
=LEFT(A3) | First character in the second string (S) |