The [[LEFT$]] string function returns a number of characters from the left of a [[STRING]].


{{PageSyntax}}
: [[LEFT$]]({{Parameter|stringValue$}}, {{Parameter|numberOfCharacters%}})


{{PageParameters}}
* {{Parameter|stringValue$}} can be any [[STRING]] literal or variable.
* {{Parameter|numberOfCharacters%}} [[INTEGER]] determines the number of characters to return from left of string.


{{PageDescription}}
* If the number of characters exceeds the string length the entire string is returned. Use [[LEN]] to determine a string's length.
* [[LEFT$]] returns always start at the first character of the string, even if it's a space. [[LTRIM$]] can remove leading spaces.
* '''{{Parameter|numberOfCharacters%}} cannot be a negative value.'''


{{PageExamples}}
''Example 1:'' Getting the left portion of a string value. 
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
name$ = "Tom Williams"

First$ = LEFT$(name$, 3)

PRINT First$ '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
{{OutputStart}}Tom {{OutputEnd}}


''Example 2:'' A replace function using LEFT$ and [[RIGHT$]] with [[INSTR]] to insert a different length word into an existing string. 
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
text$ = "This is my sentence to change my words."
{{Cl|PRINT}} text$
oldword$ = "my" 
newword$ = "your"

x = Replace(text$, oldword$, newword$) 
{{Cl|IF...THEN|IF}} x {{Cl|THEN}} {{Cl|PRINT}} text$; x

{{Cl|END}}

{{Cl|FUNCTION}} Replace (text$, old$, new$) 'can also be used as a {{Cl|SUB}} without the count assignment
{{Cl|DO...LOOP|DO}}
  find = {{Cl|INSTR}}(start + 1, text$, old$) 'find location of a word in text
  {{Cl|IF...THEN|IF}} find {{Cl|THEN}}
    count = count + 1
    first$ = {{Cl|LEFT$}}(text$, find - 1) 'text before word including spaces
    last$ = {{Cl|RIGHT$}}(text$, {{Cl|LEN}}(text$) - (find + {{Cl|LEN}}(old$) - 1)) 'text after word
    text$ = first$ + new$ + last$
  {{Cl|END IF}}
  start = find
{{Cl|LOOP}} {{Cl|WHILE}} find
Replace = count 'function returns the number of replaced words. Comment out in SUB
{{Cl|END FUNCTION}} '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
{{OutputStart}}This is my sentence to change my words.
This is your sentence to change your words.{{OutputEnd}}
: ''Note:'' The [[MID$ (statement)|MID$]] statement can only substitute words or sections of the original string length. It cannot change the string length.


{{PageSeeAlso}}
* [[RIGHT$]], [[MID$]]
* [[LTRIM$]], [[RTRIM$]]
* [[MID$ (statement)]]
* [[INSTR]], [[LEN]]


{{PageNavigation}}
