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+# $EPIC: left.txt,v 1.4 2006/08/01 04:12:59 sthalik Exp $
+======Synopsis:======
+$__left__(<count> <text>)
+======Technical:======
+   * If <count> is omitted, this function returns the empty string.
+   * If <text> is omitted, this function returns the empty string.
+   * If <count> is less than 0, this function returns the empty string.
+   * If <text> is more than <count> characters long, then this function will return a copy of the first <count> characters in <text>.
+   * If <text> is less than or exactly <count> characters long, then this function will return a copy of <text>
+======Practical:======
+Whenever you need to extract the initial part of a string, you would use
+this function to get it.  This is more useful for fixed-format strings.
+ircII used to use $left($[[index]](<char> <text>) <text>) to extract the part
+of <text> that was before <char>.  In EPIC, use $[[before]](<char> <text>)
+because it is faster, more clear, and doesn't require two copies of <text>,
+which may be important if <text> is a function call.
+======Returns:======
+The first <count> characters in <text>.  No padding is done.  If you need
+a string that is always <count> characters long, try:
+<file>
+$pad(<count> " " $left(<count> <text>))
+</file>
+======Examples:======
+<file>
+$left(5 biklmnopstv)                     returns "biklm"
+$left(15 biklmnopstv)                    returns "biklmnopstv"
+$left(-2 biklmnopstv)                    returns nothing
+$left($index(@ $userhost()) $userhost()) returns a username in an /on.
+  -- Note that this construction is obsolete, but is still used by some.
+</file>
+======History:======
+This function first appeared in ircII.