Purpose
 
		 
		Returns the result of inserting a string to the left of another string with a certain length. It can be padded on the right with a character. 
		
 
	 Parameters
 
		 
		 
		   
			 - s 
			 
- A string that is inserted to the left of another sting. It must have a computational type and a character type. If it does not have a character type, it is converted to character. 
			 
 
		   
			 - l 
			 
- The length of a string to the left of which 
				s is inserted. It must have a computational type and a character type and is converted to Fixed Binary(31,0). 
			 
 
		   
			 - c 
			 
- Optional padding character, inserted to the right of the string. It must have a nonvarying character type. 
			 
Description
 
		 
		LEFT returns a string which is formed by inserting a string 
		  s to the left of another string with length 
		  l. An optional padding character 
		  c can be attached to the right. 
		
 
	 Examples
 
		 
		dcl s char (40) var;
    dcl t char (40) var;
    s = 'This string is 33 characters long';
    t = left(s, 40, '+');
    put skip list (t);
 
		will print: 
		
 
		This string is 33 characters long+++++++