Left Example 1:
SELECT LEFT ('abcdefghik',3);
Result: abc
SELECT LEFT ('12345',2);
Result: 12
SELECT LEFT (17345,2);
Result: 17
SELECT LEFT ('1a2b3c',4);
Result: 1a2b
Left Example 2:
Cities table:
| CITY_ID | NAME | STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois |
| 4 | San Antonio | Texas |
| 5 | San Diego | California |
SELECT LEFT (name, 3) AS Result
FROM cities
WHERE state='California';
Left Result:
| Result |
|---|
| Los |
| San |
See also: T-SQL Functions -> Right | LTRIM | RTRIM