LEFT in WPS on Windows: Introduction

WPS LEFT helps you extract a specified number of characters from the start of text in WPS on Windows; this guide covers 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	3	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	3	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

The LEFT function in WPS on Windows is a text function used to return characters from the beginning of a text string. In WPS multidimensional tables, it can be added in a formula field to extract prefixes, shorten text values, and support combined text-processing formulas.

Core capabilities include:

Use LEFT in a formula field to extract characters from the left side of text.
Enter parameters in the function format and apply the formula quickly.
Combine LEFT with other formulas so results update with record changes.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	An internet connection is recommended for installation and account-related actions; local formula editing does not require a constant connection
Other	You need access to a multidimensional table and permission to add or edit formula fields

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-installation check	Open WPS Office, enter a multidimensional table, and confirm that you can add a Formula field and open the formula editor

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	LEFT can be used in a formula field in WPS multidimensional tables to return a specified number of characters from the beginning of text, and it can be combined with other formulas.	Excel provides LEFT(text, [num_chars]) to return the first character or characters in a text string.	Google Sheets provides LEFT(string, [number_of_characters]) to return a substring from the beginning of a string.	Notion formulas support text processing with functions such as substring(text, start, end), but there is no same-name LEFT function.	Adobe Acrobat focuses on editing text in PDFs and does not provide an equivalent spreadsheet-style LEFT function.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: Works directly in WPS multidimensional table formula fields for record-based text processing. Distinct: Formula results can refresh with source field updates in the table.	Compared with WPS: Offers a similar text-extraction function, mainly in spreadsheet cell formulas.	Compared with WPS: Offers a similar text-extraction function, commonly used in online spreadsheet formulas.	Compared with WPS: Requires substring or other formula syntax instead of a same-name LEFT function.	Compared with WPS: No equivalent spreadsheet-formula capability; the product focus is PDF text editing.
Official Source	—	Excel LEFT function	Google Sheets LEFT	Notion formula syntax	Adobe Acrobat edit text in PDFs

Overall Conclusion
For text-prefix extraction in table-based workflows, WPS, Excel, and Google Sheets all provide direct LEFT-style support. Notion can handle similar outcomes through different formula syntax, while Adobe Acrobat is not a like-for-like spreadsheet formula alternative.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable For	Pain Point	Solution
1	Extracting code prefixes	Data coordinators	Imported values contain fixed prefixes that are slow to split manually	Use LEFT in a formula field to return the first few characters
2	Creating short labels	Operations and admin teams	Full names need to be shortened into compact text values	Use LEFT to keep a specified number of starting characters
3	Combining text formulas	Advanced table users	One function alone may not cover a full rule	Combine LEFT with other formulas
4	Auto-updating imported records	Team collaborators	Imported records still need repeated manual text cleanup	Let the formula field update results when source values change
5	Standardizing field formats	Project managers	Inconsistent text entry creates uneven field formats	Keep a fixed-length prefix with LEFT

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free	WPS Premium
Basic LEFT function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Formula field editing in multidimensional tables	✅ Available	✅ Available
Additional PDF, template, and advanced office benefits	Some capabilities are limited	More advanced benefits are included
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB or more depending on the plan shown on the pricing page

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
Everyday text extraction and basic table work	Free	The LEFT function itself is available for routine data processing
More cloud storage plus broader PDF and office benefits	WPS Premium	Suitable for users who also need more tools across the WPS suite

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