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Left function for Sheets

1 min read
I. Intro
The LEFT function returns the specified number of characters from the beginning of a string.
II. About the function
  • Formula: =LEFT(string, [number_of_characters])
  • Arguments:
  • string (required): The string from which the characters on the left are returned
  • number_of_characters (required): The number of characters to return.
  • Note: If number_of_characters is 0, a length of zero (" ") will be returned. If it is greater than or equal to the total number of characters in the string, the whole string will be returned.
  • Example:
  • =LEFT("123456",3) results in 123.
III. Steps
Use the LEFT function
  1. Select a cell and enter =LEFT.
  1. Enter the first argument in the cell.
  1. Enter a comma, then the second argument. For example, if you want the last three characters of the string, enter 3.
  1. Press Enter to get the result.
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Delete the LEFT function
Select the cell with the LEFT function and press Delete.
IV. Use cases
HR: Extract name from email
Typically, the prefix of an email address is the user's name. So, if you only have a user's email, you can use the LEFT function, in conjunction with FIND, to extract the email prefix to serve as the user name or ID for your records.
  • Formula used below:
  • =LEFT(F2,FIND("@",F2,1)-1)
  • About the arguments: The FIND function finds and confirms the position of the at symbol (@), and LEFT extracts the characters to its left.
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Written by: Lark Help Center
Updated on 2022-10-31
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