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--- syntax:functions:left [2015/04/03 17:48] – elenap
+++ syntax:functions:left [2021/07/28 00:51] – craigt
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-===== Left(text, N) =====
+====== Left(text, no_of_chars) ======
+Category:  Text function
-Returns //N// symbols left of the specific //text//, where //N// is a number. First argument is implicitly converted into text, if required.
+\\
+=====Description=====
+This function returns the specified number of symbols from the left of //text// as a text value.
-Note that the expression does not require to use single quote signs ('X') around the number N.
+\\
+=====Arguments=====
+^Argument^Type^Description^
+|text|Text|Any text value (in single or double quotes), or other value that can be implicitly converted to text if required.|
+|no_of_chars|Integer|The number of symbols returned from the left side of the //text// argument.|
-^  Example  ^  Result  ^
+**Return value type:** Text
-|  left('Los Angeles', 4)  |  Los  |
-|  left('IT services', 3)  |  IT  |
-**See also**
+\\
+=====Remarks=====
+Regardless of the type of value passed in for //text//, the result of this function is //always// a text value.
+Numbers and equations can be used as the //text// argument and are implicitly converted to their text-equivalent.  When passing in an equation for //text//, //no_of_chars// number of symbols from the equation's //result// will be returned.
+Passing in a date value (#yyyy-MM-dd) will return //no_of_chars// number of symbols from the converted date serial value.  See the examples below.
+\\
+=====Examples=====
+  left('Los Angeles', 3) = 'Los'
+  left('IT services', 2) = 'IT'
+  left(12345, 3) = '123'  //Note, the numeric value of 12345 was passed in.  The result is a text value.
+  left(#2021-10-21, 3) = '444'  //2021-10-21 is 44490 as a converted date serial value, so '444' is returned.
+  left(100*3, 1) = '3'  //The result of 100 * 3 = 300, so the '3' is returned as the single leftmost character.
+\\
+===== See also =====
   * [[syntax:functions:right]]
   * [[syntax:functions:mid]]