_Added in 1.8.10_

*$left*

Returns duration left of the currently playing song in XX:XX format.

_Only works if Media Player is set to iTunes/MediaMonkey/Winamp and proper plugins are installed._

_Added in 1.9.0_

*$left(text,N)*

Returns the N left characters of text.

_If N is a negative value, starts from the end._

*Parameters*

text - Text to substring.
N - The Nth characters to substring by.

*Example*

<pre>
; Get the left 5 characters from 'Hello World'.
//echo -ag $left(Hello World,5)

; Get the last 5 characters from 'Hello World'.
//echo -ag $left(Hello World, -5)
</pre>