> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anlytic.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Left

Returns a substring that begins at the start of a given string column values.

**Category:** `text`

**Syntax:**

```
Left([string_column], number)
```

**Returns:** `StringColumn`

**Context Filtering:** ✓ Yes

## Parameters

| Name            | Type     | Required | Description                                                                                      |
| --------------- | -------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `string_column` | `column` | ✓ Yes    | The string column from which a left substring will be returned.                                  |
| `number`        | `number` | ✓ Yes    | The desired length of the returned substring. A negative number removes characters from the end. |

**Allowed Column Types:** STRING, TEXT

## Validation

* Minimum parameters: 2
* Maximum parameters: 2

## Examples

```
Left([Address], 5)
```

Returns first 5 characters of each address.

## Related Functions

* [Right](right) - Extract from end of string
* [Upper](upper) - Convert extracted text to uppercase