Returns a character string from the given character expression or memo field, starting at a specified position in the character expression or memo field and continuing for a specified number of characters.

SUBSTR(cExpression, nStartPosition [, nCharactersReturned])

Parameters

cExpression

Specifies the character expression or memo field from which the character string is returned.

nStartPosition

Specifies the position in the character expression or memo field cExpression from where the character string is returned. The first character of cExpression is position 1.

Note
If nStartPosition is greater than the number of characters in cExpression, SUBSTR( ) returns an empty string ("").

nCharactersReturned

Specifies the number of characters to return from cExpression. If you omit nCharactersReturned, characters are returned until the end of the character expression is reached.

Return Value

Character. SUBSTR( ) returns a character string.

Note
SUBSTR( ) will not return a value for a memo field when issued in the Debug window. To return a value in the Debug window, place the memo field name within ALLTRIM( ), and place ALLTRIM( ) within SUBSTR( ).

Remarks

Example

The following example stores string 'abcdefghijklm' to the variable myString using the STORE command. CLEAR clears the main Visual FoxPro window. Beginning with the first character as specified by nStartPosition = 1, SUBSTR( ) displays the string 'abcde' with five characters as specified by nCharactersReturned = 5. SUBSTR( ) then displays the string 'fghijklm' beginning with the sixth character in the string as specified by nStartPosition = 6 until the end of the character expression is reached as specified by the omission of a value for nCharactersReturned.

	Copy Code
STORE 'abcdefghijklm' TO myString CLEAR ? SUBSTR(myString, 1, 5) ? SUBSTR(myString, 6)

See Also

Reference

AT( ) Function
AT_C( ) Function
ATC( ) Function
ATCC( ) Function
ATCLINE( ) Function
ATLINE( ) Function
LEFT( ) Function
PADL( ) | PADR( ) | PADC( ) Functions
RAT( ) Function
RATC( ) Function
RATLINE( ) Function
RIGHT( ) Function
LEFTC( ) Function
RIGHTC( ) Function
SUBSTRC( ) Function
STREXTRACT( ) Function
STRTRAN( ) Function
STUFF( ) Function

Other Resources

Functions
Language Reference (Visual FoxPro)