LEFT$(string, number)

This function returns from the string, string variable, or string expression string the specified number of characters starting from the left.  If string is "hello there", and number is 5, then "hello" is the result.

MID$(string, index, [number])

This function permits the extraction of a sequence of characters from the string, string variable, or string expression string starting at index.  [number] is optional.  If number is not specified, then all the characters from index to the end of the string are returned.  If number is specified, then only as many characters as number specifies will be returned, starting from index.

RIGHT$(string, number)

This function returns a sequence of characters from the right hand side of the string, string variable, or string expression string using number to determine how many characters to return.  If  number is 0, then "" (an empty string) is returned.  If number is greater than or equal to the number of characters in string, then string will itself be returned.

