slices to the rescue :)

def left(s, amount):
    return s[:amount]

def right(s, amount):
    return s[-amount:]

def mid(s, offset, amount):
    return s[offset:offset+amount]
Answer from Andy W on Stack Overflow
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Trymito
trymito.io โ€บ excel-to-python โ€บ functions โ€บ text โ€บ LEFT
Excel to Python: LEFT Function - A Complete Guide | Mito
The LEFT function in Excel returns the first N characters in a text string, based on the number of characters you specify. ... Get answers from your data, not syntax errors. Download the Mito AI analyst ...
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YouTube
youtube.com โ€บ learn easy steps
How to use Left function in Python | How to extract characters from Left in Python | Learn Python - YouTube
How to use Left function in Python. Explained in step by step approach with an example on how to use str[:] operation in Python. Extracting text from left in...
Published ย  August 6, 2021
Views ย  317
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ python โ€บ python-right-and-left-shift-characters-in-string
Python - Right and Left Shift characters in String - GeeksforGeeks
July 12, 2025 - s = "geeksforgeeks" k = 17 n = len(s) k %= n l = s[k:] + s[:k] r = s[-k:] + s[:-k] print("Left Shift:", l) print("Right Shift:", r) ... k %= n reduces unnecessary full rotations. Shifting a 13-character string by 17 is the same as shifting by 4 (since 17 % 13 = 4). Slicing is then used to perform the shifts. Deque (double-ended queue) from the collections module is designed for efficient rotations and manipulations. This method uses the built-in rotate function of deque for shifting characters.
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Databricks
docs.databricks.com โ€บ pyspark reference โ€บ functions โ€บ left
left | Databricks on AWS
June 4, 2026 - left function in PySpark: Returns the leftmost len(len can be string type) characters from the string str, if len is less or equal than 0 the result is an empty string.
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Delft Stack
delftstack.com โ€บ home โ€บ howto โ€บ python โ€บ left string in python
How to Get Parts of a String in Python | Delft Stack
February 15, 2024 - The starting point of the string can be called the left string, the middle part of the string can be called the middle string, and the end of the string can be called the right string.
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InterviewQs
interviewqs.com โ€บ ddi-code-snippets โ€บ substring-python
Slice a string in python (right, left, mid equivalents) - InterviewQs
'8754321' #right 2 characters string[-2:] '21' #left 2 characters string[:2] '87' #4th through 6th characters (index starts at 0) string[4:6] '32'
Find elsewhere
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W3Schools
w3schools.com โ€บ python โ€บ python_ref_string.asp
Python String Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on strings.
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Note.nkmk.me
note.nkmk.me โ€บ home โ€บ python
Right-justify, Center, Left-justify Strings and Numbers in Python | note.nkmk.me
May 18, 2023 - Use the rjust(), center(), or ljust() methods to right-justify, center, or left-justify strings str in Python. You can convert numbers (int and float) to strings using str() and apply these methods. R ...
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ListenData
listendata.com โ€บ home โ€บ python
String Functions in Python with Examples
The table below shows many common string functions in Python along with their descriptions and their equivalent functions in MS Excel. If you are intermediate MS Excel users, you must have used LEFT, RIGHT and MID Functions.
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InRule Technology
support.inrule.com โ€บ hc โ€บ en-us โ€บ articles โ€บ 4407124600717-Left-Function
Left Function โ€“ InRule Technology
The Left function returns a string containing a specified number of characters from the left side of a string. Syntax The Left function returns a string containing a specified number of cha...
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W3Schools
w3schools.com โ€บ python โ€บ ref_string_ljust.asp
Python String ljust() Method
Note: In the result, there are actually 14 whitespaces to the right of the word banana. The ljust() method will left align the string, using a specified character (space is default) as the fill character.
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Google
developers.google.com โ€บ google for education โ€บ python โ€บ python strings
Python Strings | Python Education | Google for Developers
The % operator takes a printf-type format string on the left (%d int, %s string, %f/%g floating point), and the matching values in a tuple on the right (a tuple is made of values separated by commas, typically grouped ...
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freeCodeCamp
freecodecamp.org โ€บ news โ€บ how-to-substring-a-string-in-python
How to Substring a String in Python
January 3, 2020 - Notice that the start or end index can be a negative number. A negative index means that you start counting from the end of the string instead of the beginning (from the right to left).
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Inductive Automation
forum.inductiveautomation.com โ€บ general discussion
String Manipulation - General Discussion - Inductive Automation Forum
February 1, 2016 - I am trying to manipulate a string from an OPC tag using the Left function. I am able to return the full string without issue. After several failed attempts, I copied the text from the Hello World example given for the left function as a test and it also returned an error stating โ€œNameError: ...
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ python โ€บ ways-to-apply-left-right-mid-in-pandas
Ways to apply LEFT, RIGHT, MID in Pandas - GeeksforGeeks
July 28, 2020 - # importing pandas library import pandas as pd # creating and initializing a list Cars = ['1000-BMW','2000-Audi','3000-Volkswagen', '4000-Datsun','5000-Toyota','6000-Maruti Suzuki'] # creating a pandas dataframe df = pd.DataFrame(Cars, columns= ['Model_name']) # Extracting characters from right side # using slicing and storing result in # 'Left' Left = df['Model_name'].str[:4] print(Left)
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DigitalOcean
digitalocean.com โ€บ community โ€บ tutorials โ€บ python-string-functions
Python String Functions: Complete Guide with Examples | DigitalOcean
August 3, 2022 - Master Python string functions like split(), join(), replace(), strip() and more. Comprehensive guide with practical examples for string manipulation.