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**LEFT(**//string// [,//length//]**)**

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| **LEFT** | Left justifies a string. |
| //string// | A string constant, variable, or expression. |
| //length// | A numeric constant, variable, or expression for the length of the return string. If omitted, //length// defaults to the length of the //string//. |

The **LEFT** procedure returns a left justified string. Leading spaces are removed from the //string//. Spaces are padded on the right to return a string of the "length" specied. To remove trailing spaces use CLIP(LEFT())

**Return Data Type:**     STRING

**Examples:**

| ** ****LEFT****('  ABC') returns 'ABC  '** |
| **!******************** |
| **CompanyName = ****LEFT****(CompanyName)   !Left justify the company name** |
| **!******************** |
| **IF FILEDIALOG('Pick file',FileName) THEN** |
| **   IF ****LEFT****(FileName,2)='\\' THEN ** |
| **      STOP('\\UNC paths are not supported!')** |
| **   ELSIF UPPER(****LEFT****(FileName,11))='C:\WINDOWS\' THEN ** |
| **      STOP('Do not select Windows folder!')** |
| **   END** |
| **END** |
| **!******************** |
| **MESSAGE('Sub Total $' & CLIP(****LEFT****(FORMAT(Inv:PmtTotal,@n-15.2))) & ' plus...')** |
| **!******************** |
| **IF ****LEFT****(CardNo,1) = '4' THEN** |
| **   CardType = 'VISA'** |
| **ELSIF ****LEFT****(CardNo,2) >= '50' AND ****LEFT****(CardNo,2) <;= '55'** |
| **   CardType = 'MC'** |
| **ELSIF ****LEFT****(CardNo,4) = '6011'** |
| **   CardType = 'DISC'** |
| **ELSIF ****LEFT****(CardNo,2) = '34' OR ****LEFT****(CardNo,2) = '37'** |
| **   CardType = 'AMEX'** |
| **ELSE** |
| **   Message('Unknown card type ' &amp; ****LEFT****(CardNo,4))** |
| **   RETURN** |
| **END** |
|  |

**See Also:**

[[right  return right justified string .htm|RIGHT]]

[[center  return centered string .htm|CENTER]]

[[clip  return string without trailing spaces .htm|CLIP]]

[[sub  return substring of string .htm|SUB]]