firstc

Type

Text Function

Purpose

The firstc function extracts a specified number of characters (n) from the beginning (left) of a text value.

Syntax

firstc( TEXT VALUE, n)

Returns

A text string n characters in length.

Usage

Leading blanks are included in the count of characters (n).

Examples

firstc ( "Sapphire International Ltd." , 8)

Returns: Sapphire

firstc ( "Club ParaDEASE" , 6)

Returns: Club P

firstc ( LAST NAME, 4)

Returns: The first four characters in the LAST NAME field for every record that is processed. If a record contains the value Birnbaum in the LAST NAME field, the function returns Birn.