Table of Contents

KeepBefore(text, before_string)

Category: Text function


Description

This function returns characters before the first occurrence of before_string in text, if found. If before_string is not found within text and "empty" value is returned.


Alternative syntax

This function can take an optional third numeric parameter to define the instance of before_string used in the search. If instance_num is negative, the match starts from the end of text.

KeepBefore(text, before_string, instance_num)


Arguments

ArgumentTypeDescription
textTextThe text value to search within for the after_string string.
before_stringText (must not be empty)The text string to search for within text. The characters before this string are returned.
instance_num*Number (non-zero integer)The occurrence of before_string to use as the delimiter to return the text following.

*Optional argument.

Return value type: Text


Remarks

This function is case sensitive.

text and before_string are implicitly converted to text values if required.


Examples

keepbefore('5pm', 'pm') //Returns '5'
keepbefore('October 2015', '2015') //Returns 'October '  (Note the space after 'October' is retained)
keepbefore('a/a/b/b/c/d', 'b/') //Returns 'a/a/'  (Second argument can be multiple characters)
keepbefore('a/b/c/d', '/', 2) //Returns 'a/b'  (Keep text before the second instance of '/')
keepbefore('a/b/c/d', '/', -1) //Returns 'a/b/c'  (Keep text before the second instance of '/', from the end)
keepbefore('a/b/c/d', 'z') //Returns (empty)  ('z' not found within the text value)


See also