LEFTB function
Returns the leftmost characters from a text value
Legacy DBCS byte-oriented left function. Microsoft deprecates LEFTB; prefer LEFT for new workbooks. This local model counts Latin-1 and half-width kana as one byte and other code points as two; an incomplete double-byte character in a slice becomes a space. It is not a UTF-8 storage measure. Native Excel byte behavior depends on language and workbook settings, and full native locale compatibility remains unverified.
Syntax
LEFTB(text, [num_bytes])Square brackets indicate optional arguments.
Arguments
| Argument | Required | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| text | Yes | The text string containing the characters you want to extract."Univer" |
| num_bytes | No | Specifies the number of characters you want LEFTB to extract, based on bytes.3 |
Try LEFTB
Extract the left prefix by legacy bytes
=LEFTB(A2,4)Four bytes cover A, the whole 漢 and B. This example uses a legacy double-byte character set (DBCS): A, B and C use one byte each; 漢 and 字 use two each. Byte positions are A=1, 漢=2–3, B=4, 字=5–6 and C=7. These positions differ from UTF-8 storage sizes. Microsoft deprecates the B-suffixed function; prefer the corresponding character function for new workbooks. Native byte counting depends on language settings.
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LEFTB · top-level call
=LEFTB(A2,4)Follow the cells behind a result
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Reference and compatibility
Univer 1.0.4 / Apache-2.0. Calculation checks cover the supplied examples only. The browser worksheet does not implement every Excel feature, external service or connected data type.