======Overview:======
before(//count// //chars// //text//)

======Technical:======
The before() function returns the part of //text// before the //count//th instance of any of the characters in //chars//.

The //chars// argument may contain multiple characters.  If it contains a space, you should surround it with double quotes (which won't count).

If //text// does not contain //count// instances of any of the characters in //chars//, or if //count// is 0, then it returns the empty string.

If //count// is a negative number, the characters are counted from the end of the string.

======Defined Behaviors:======
^ Call ^ Return Value ^ Because ^
| before(1 ! hop!user@host)         | hop | |
| before(1 / /usr/local/bin/epic)   | the empty string | (there is nothing before the first /)|
| before(-1 / /usr/local/bin/epic)  | /usr/local/bin | |
| before(-2 / /usr/local/bin/epic)  | /usr/local |
| before(5 / /usr/local/bin/epic)   | the empty string | (there are not 5 /'s in the string)|
| before(/ /usr/local/bin/epic)     | the empty string | (//count// defaults to 1) |
| before(0 ! hop!user@host)         | the empty string | (the //count// argument is 0)|
| before(1 @ /usr/local/bin/epic)   | the empty string | (there is not 1 @'s in the string)|
| before(/usr/local/bin/epic)       | the empty string | (argument error -- there are not enough words)|
| before()                          | the empty string | (no params) |

======History:======
This function first appeared in "+10" (post ircII, pre-EPIC).
Support for the <count> argument first appeared in "+11"