How do you use LEFT in Google Sheets?

In Google Sheets, the LEFT() function extracts a number of characters from a text string, starting from the leftmost character. For example, the following formula returns the string "Sheet" from the text string "Google Sheets":

=LEFT("Google Sheets", 5)

The following formula returns the string "Sheet" from the text string "Google Sheets is a great spreadsheet program":

=LEFT("Google Sheets is a great spreadsheet program", 9)

What is the syntax of LEFT in Google Sheets?

LEFT(text, number_of_characters) returns the leftmost number_of_characters characters from text.

What is an example of how to use LEFT in Google Sheets?

In Google Sheets, the LEFT() function returns the leftmost characters in a text string, starting at the specified position. For example, the following formula returns the string "Sheet":

=LEFT(A1,3)

This function can be used in a number of ways, including to extract data from a text string or to create a text header for a column of data.

When should you not use LEFT in Google Sheets?

There are many occasions when you should not use the LEFT function in Google Sheets. One common example is when you are trying to extract data from the beginning of a text string. If the text string you are working with contains blank spaces, the LEFT function will return the first letter of the string only if it is located at the beginning of the string. If the first letter of the string is not at the beginning of the string, the LEFT function will return a blank.

What are some similar formulae to LEFT in Google Sheets?

The LEFT function in Google Sheets returns a specified number of characters from the left-most side of a text string. This function is similar to the RIGHT function, which returns the right-most number of characters from a text string. The MID function also returns a specified number of characters from a text string, but it starts at the middle of the string instead of the beginning or the end.