Returns a Variant (String) containing a specified number of characters from the left side of a string.
Syntax
Left(string, length)
The Left function syntax has these named arguments:
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| string | Required. String expression from which the leftmost characters are returned. If string contains Null, Null is returned. |
| length | Required; Variant (Long). Numeric expression indicating how many characters to return. If 0, a zero-length string ("") is returned. If greater than or equal to the number of characters in string, the entire string is returned. |
Remarks
To determine the number of characters in string, use the Len function.
Tips
Use the LeftB function with byte data contained in a string. Instead of specifying the number of characters to return, length specifies the number of bytes.
Example
This example uses the Left function to return a specified number of characters from the left side of a string.
Dim AnyString, MyStr
AnyString = "Hello World" ' Define string.
MyStr = Left(AnyString, 1) ' Returns "H".
MyStr = Left(AnyString, 7) ' Returns "Hello W".
MyStr = Left(AnyString, 20) ' Returns "Hello World".